Isaac Newton stands as one of the greatest scientists in history, and his renowned three laws have profoundly impacted and changed the world.

Indeed, Newton's contributions extended far beyond his famous laws of motion. Simultaneously with Leibniz, he independently invented calculus, ushering in a new era in mathematics. Additionally, Newton made remarkable contributions to optics, further solidifying his legacy as a pioneering figure in various scientific disciplines.

In the public perception, Isaac Newton is often seen as a university professor deeply immersed in academia and as a brilliant intellectual.

However, it may be surprising for many to imagine that Newton, known for his scholarly pursuits, once worked as a detective, engaging in battles of wits and courage with criminals! Actually, Newton not only served as the supervisor of the Royal Mint but also played a pivotal role in turning the tide against a rampant counterfeit currency crisis in Britain.

So, how did he do it?

In this exploration, we will venture into the river of history to witness the legendary tale of the great detective, Newton.

(This case is adapted based on true events, and the case data is sourced from NetEase News and Sohu.)

1 New Challenge Accepted

During the 17th century, Britain faced severe financial constraints due to ongoing foreign conflicts and internal consumption pressures. In that era, hand-forged silver coins were in circulation, characterized by a relatively low level of craftsmanship. This situation created opportunities for individuals to generate substantial profits. This circumstance directly contributed to a surge in counterfeit currency in Britain by the end of the century, reaching a counterfeit rate as high as one in ten.

In response to this issue, the British government opted to re-mint silver coins. Nonetheless, a substantial challenge emerged as the British government confronted the task of re-minting a staggering 7 million pounds' worth of silver coins. This amount equaled the total number of silver coins issued in the preceding thirty years. In the re-minting process, a continuous recycling of old coins was essential, accompanied by the issuance of new coins. Crucially, the exchange of silver coins, both in sending and receiving, had to be executed without inducing market panic or triggering economic fluctuations.

Given these stringent requirements, the tasks of detecting counterfeit coins and recasting silver coins became exceptionally challenging and demanding.

In the historical context of 1696, Sir Isaac Newton, at the age of 53, had already achieved significant milestones in the field of science. Despite standing at the pinnacle of academic success, he aspired to further realize his potential and contributions in other domains. At that moment, a letter arrived from the Chancellor of the Exchequer, extending an invitation for Newton to take on the role of Superintendent of the Royal Mint—a position amalgamating responsibilities such as criminal detective, interrogator, and supervisor. Upon receiving this invitation, Newton expressed immediate and enthusiastic interest in undertaking the role.

Following an investigation, it was discovered that a scheme involving shear-type counterfeit coins was rampant in the market at that time. This method involved trimming a small amount of silver from the edge of authentic coins and then crafting complete silver coins from these trimmed pieces. Newton, incensed by this discovery, took swift action upon assuming office. His initial move was to enhance the currency by imprinting patterns and words on the edges of the new coins. Any damage to these edges would signify tampering or cutting, serving as a preventive measure against counterfeiting.

Newton's measures brought about a temporary alleviation of the counterfeit currency crisis. However, the respite was short-lived. The Chancellor of the Exchequer delivered disheartening news that, following the eradication of shear-type counterfeiting, a new challenge arose. Someone had begun producing counterfeit money that closely resembled genuine currency, going so far as to mimic Newton's new anti-counterfeiting edge, making it nearly impossible to distinguish between real and fake.

Newton was taken aback by this development. The mastery of such sophisticated technology by counterfeiters surprised him, sparking an instant interest in uncovering the mastermind behind these clandestine operations.

Counterfeit currency emerged as a formidable adversary for all of Britain. During this period, a coinage expert named William Challoner gained widespread respect in society for publishing a series of popular science articles on preventing counterfeit money. Recognized for his expertise, William Challoner was recommended to Newton as an assistant with the aim of jointly combating the issue of counterfeit coins. Newton, trusting in his own intellect and judgment, declined the assistance of William Challoner.

Newton was born into a peasant family in Lincolnshire, England. With his father's early demise, his mother remarried, leaving the family in dire poverty. Due to this, Newton endured frequent physical abuse at school. Despite the hardships and bullying, he remained determined to excel academically and committed himself to diligent study. At 19, Newton entered Cambridge University, showcasing exceptional intelligence and academic achievements. Despite his brilliance, financial constraints led him to become a reduced-fee student at Trinity College. To cover tuition and living expenses, he undertook various chores for wealthier classmates.

Having endured the storms of poverty himself, he is determined not to witness individuals without shelter struggling in similar adversity. Recognizing the threat of counterfeit money, Newton understood its potential to worsen the plight of the impoverished in Britain. Determined, he resolved to address the issue of counterfeiters with firm and decisive measures.

Newton grasped the potency of law enforcement, yet he harbored no intention of adhering strictly to conventional case-handling procedures. In a departure from conventional procedures, Newton assembled a team of detectives by recruiting his own informants, undercover agents, and enforcers. With 36 years spent predominantly in academia and minimal exposure to the real world, Newton found himself confronting the shadows of the criminal underworld.

Adding to the challenge, Newton was poised to face a rare adversary whose intelligence matched his own on an equal footing. This prospect alone filled Newton with excitement.

Recognizing that the sale of counterfeit currency occurs in the black market or on the streets, making transaction participants vulnerable to discovery, Newton strategizes to trace the criminal network from its outermost edges. Subsequently, he personally conducted interrogations in prison, extracting additional names from the mouths of counterfeit money dealers. Through this methodical approach, Newton progressively infiltrated the deepest layers of the criminal network, elucidating the identity of the leader of a counterfeit currency gang, code-named "Chandler.”

Will Newton successfully unveil the true identity of the elusive adversary concealed behind the code name "Chandler"?

Please stay tuned for the next issue: "Detective" of "Qingqiao Safety"

2 True Identity of "Chandler"

To track down "Chandler," the mastermind behind the counterfeit currency gang, Newton dedicated himself to relentless efforts, working almost day and night on various criminal leads.

At this crucial juncture, Chaloner, the coinage expert previously recommended as Newton's assistant but coldly rejected, made a return visit.

This time, Newton felt a tinge of irritation as he was deeply engrossed in uncovering the criminal leader and didn't want to interrupt his work for a meeting with guests. However, instead of displaying any embarrassment, Challoner informed Newton that he was privy to Mr. Chandler's true identity and could assist in expediting the investigation.

Newton was so taken aback by this revelation that he had to interrupt his ongoing tasks and turn his attention to Challoner.

Challoner's subsequent words were undeniably astonishing:

William Challoner's origins traced back to Birmingham, a tumultuous place at the time. Bereaved of his mother in his youth, he was sold by his father to local craftsmen to settle outstanding debts. Challoner apprenticed with a master craftsman in the production of iron nails, acquiring proficiency in the art of metal thermal processing. Despite his skills, persistent poverty and hunger plagued him, as the master claimed the majority of his earnings. Furthermore, Challoner faced expulsion for disobedience to the master's discipline. Challoner, after wandering to London and facing unemployment due to lack of education, resorted to forming a team to produce shear-type counterfeit money.

Unfortunately, Challoner's endeavors yielded limited success, hindered by Newton's introduction of an anti-counterfeiting edge to the currency, thwarting this particular avenue of profit. Frustrated, Challoner, fueled by anger, self-taught the art of forging new counterfeit coins, ultimately creating some of the most realistic counterfeit coins in the UK. In this way, he became an alchemist who turned stone into gold, accumulating substantial wealth as his counterfeit currency network extended its reach across the country.

Challoner, in a composed manner, detailed the intricacies of the sophisticated and highly intelligent crime, leaving Newton privately astonished and somewhat skeptical. Newton pressed Challoner to divulge how he had achieved such a significant scale in such a short span of time.

Challoner smiled slyly, having noticed the inconsistency in criminal records across various cities. Compiling vast volumes of crime information is an arduous task, and tracking criminals across cities proves even more challenging. By targeting fringe cities in the UK, circulating new counterfeit coins, and iterating, he effortlessly amassed wealth.

The simplicity of wealth accumulation left Challoner bored, leading him to seek amusement. He initiated the publication of popular science articles on preventing counterfeit coins, successfully crafting the image of a coinage expert. After all, he possesses genuine expertise in identifying counterfeit coins on the market. Not content with his current status, Challoner, upon learning of the renowned Newton joining the Royal Mint, took the initiative to expose and provoke the situation. Being well aware that without concrete evidence, even someone of Newton's stature would be powerless.

Upon hearing all of this, Newton was genuinely taken aback. It turns out that Chaloner, who made several visits, is the mastermind behind the counterfeit money gang, operating under the code name "Chandler"! This revelation incited both anger and annoyance in Newton, accompanied by a realization of his own oversight — he had failed to perceive the suspicious nature of Chaloner.

Not long after concluding this conversation, Chaloner reappeared. He went as far as publicly accusing the Royal Mint of clandestinely selling coin molds, thereby contributing to the widespread counterfeiting issue. Additionally, he insisted that the government should dispatch experts like himself to supervise the Mint.

Newton felt intense anger upon hearing this accusation, but he grasped that Chaloner's audacity stemmed from the belief that Newton couldn't expose his true identity. Consequently, Newton could only objectively reject Chaloner's request.

Faced with such brazen provocation, Newton did not remain passive. Unlike his impulsive youth, he now responded with quiet and composed demeanor. Newton strategically deployed a network of spies within Chaloner's operations, steadily ascending through the criminal organization. Ultimately, he would reach Chaloner and uncovered the incriminating evidence against him. Newton, adopting disguises after his official duties, covertly infiltrated London's bars and black markets. He gathered information, bribed informants, and even incited opposition as part of his undercover efforts.

Ironically, as Newton dedicated each day to capturing Chaloner, his overall well-being improved, and his previously scattered attention became more focused. On September 4, 1697, Newton apprehended Challoner, initiating a battle of wits that extended for over a year before culminating in a courtroom confrontation. During this period, Newton's spies deeply infiltrated Chaloner's team, amassing a wealth of incriminating evidence. Newton strategically turned Chaloner's closest assistant, leveraging him as a tainted witness armed with complete evidence and supporting witnesses against Chaloner's crimes.

Challoner's criminal career appears to be reaching its conclusion today. However, a dramatic turn of events unfolded as Newton's tainted witness temporarily withdrew his testimony just before appearing in court. Precisely the move Chaloner orchestrated.

In reality, Challoner consistently stayed one step ahead by misleading Newton from the very start. His meticulous efforts to establish himself as a mint expert and secure access to the Royal Mint were nothing more than elaborate cover-ups. Even before Newton's spies were deployed, Chaloner had strategically infiltrated his own operatives into Newton's detective team, successfully executing a counterattack against the spies. As a result, every move Newton made was under Chaloner's control.

As a consequence, Newton fell for the deception once more, leading to Chaloner's acquittal in court.

A few months later, Challoner initiated legal action against Newton. Challoner delivered an impassioned speech, portraying himself as a mint expert with a genuine aversion to counterfeit coins. He claimed that Newton had falsely accused him of fabricating evidence simply because he had reported the secret sale of molds by the mint, a revelation that went against Newton's interests. Subsequently, Challoner presented evidence of Newton's interactions with counterfeit money dealers, accusing him of hypocrisy and blaming him for pushing the country's economy to the brink of collapse.

At this juncture, Newton appeared to be powerless. Will the upcoming confrontation between him and Challoner introduce a new twist?

Please stay tuned for the next issue: "Detective" of "Qingqiao Safety"

3 Genius's Desperate Counterattack

After Chaloner delivered a passionate speech denouncing Newton, he promptly exited the courtroom, leaving behind an emotionally distraught Newton.

During that era, legal proceedings lacked lawyers and the presumption of innocence. Newton had to painstakingly prove his innocence, defending himself sentence by sentence until he was ultimately released. The humiliation of that day shattered his pride. In 1698, Newton was already 55 years old. Between collapse and rationality, he needed to find the fulcrum of balance by himself. Simultaneously, he recognized that he was the sole force capable of defeating Chaloner. Surrendering was not an option, as the entire British economy hung in the balance.

During this period, Challoner, and indeed everyone in Britain, believed that Newton had been defeated. Challoner, in particular, became increasingly convinced that Newton would be rendered powerless and incapable of taking any further action. In addition to counterfeit currency, he delved into the creation of fake lottery tickets. Despite being arrested and imprisoned within a few months for this venture, he remained unruffled. Disposing of all evidence before his arrest, he was confident of acquittal. Seizing the opportunity, he even recruited new admirers while in his cell.

While awaiting trial, Challoner continued boasting about his criminal exploits to fellow inmates, particularly relishing the moments he outplayed Newton. The more he spoke, the prouder he became, until he realized that one of the criminals seemed familiar. It was Newton, cleverly disguised as a fellow prisoner! Now, Newton has successfully captured the final piece of the puzzle. During this period, he built an evidence network, culminating in Challoner's personal admission of guilt.

Certainly, Newton faced a significant setback a few months ago. Undeterred by the setback, Newton resolved to rise again and engage in the ultimate showdown against Challoner. Seizing the opportunity during a period of Chaloner's relaxed vigilance, Newton initiated tracking his crimes and gathered valuable information from the available clues. He meticulously reviewed all criminal records spanning the past eight years, not just in London but across all cities in the UK! From a scientific standpoint, nothing escapes leaving traces. Chaloner's criminal career is dispersed among these records, yet no one had connected the dots—similar to how, before Newton, no one realized the connection between the fall of an apple and the Earth.

Throughout this period, Newton conducted frequent interviews with a diverse range of witnesses, from ordinary citizens to criminals, exhaustively questioning everyone connected to Challoner. However, Newton lacked the time to individually confirm the veracity of each statement. Instead, he assimilated hundreds of interview records and scrutinized all criminal records in Britain over the past eight years into his mental repository. Through mental cross-referencing, Newton meticulously organized all the incriminating evidence against Chaloner.

Indeed, in that era devoid of computers and the internet, compiling such a vast amount of information was a monumental task. It required a level of memory and cognitive capacity that could potentially overwhelm the human brain. But Isaac Newton did it!

All the temporal and spatial dimensions related to Chaloner unfolded within Newton's mind, rendering Chaloner's life experiences vividly visible. Newton saw the transformation of an individual into an inhumane villain due to a lack of care since childhood. His inclination to tear up other people's umbrellas stemmed from personal experiences of being caught in the rain. Newton saw how the criminal committed offenses, managed to evade consequences, and the overlooked evidence and witnesses left in their wake. The criminal career and the chain of evidence gradually formed a complete picture.

Chaloner didn't anticipate Newton's resurgence from such a low point, and he was caught off guard by Newton's undercover presence in the cell. He was swiftly taken to court, but this time, there was no chance of a comeback. In the court, there were plenty of evidence and witnesses, including the judge who had been humiliated by him and a furious Newton.

The court delivered an immediate death sentence to Chaloner. In this high-IQ showdown spanning three years, Isaac Newton emerged victorious.

With the resolution of the Challoner case, Newton was promoted to the position of Director of the Royal Mint. He continued his efforts, utilizing his brilliant mind to reorganize every aspect of coin production, even assessing the labor intensity of the mint workers. Thanks to Newton's meticulous oversight, the recasting task, initially projected to take nine years, was successfully accomplished in just two years. Once more, the radiance of scientific wisdom illuminates the path forward.

With an annual salary 35 times higher than that of his professorship days, Newton dedicated 27 years to his work, championing the adoption of the gold standard and paper money, leaving a lasting impact to this day. This added a new dimension to Newton's legacy, making him not just Newton the physicist and mathematician but also Newton the economist.

This legendary life of a world-famous scientist surprises us by revealing how a great man can succeed in diverse fields, excelling both as a scientist and a detective. More than 300 years ago, Newton pioneered the use of big data methods to compare cases, employing his extraordinary mind to establish data patterns through case source analysis, a feat that remains breathtaking.

We can also observe that Newton faced significant setbacks, yet he resiliently applied rationality on the edge of collapse, finding the fulcrum of balance. He demonstrated through his actions that an individual's wisdom and influence can transcend the limitations of time and space. In diverse situations, strive to excel and approach each task in your unique way.

In this world, each person holds the potential to be a catalyst for historical change. As individuals, we may not possess the capacity to reshape the scientific or economic landscape on the scale of Newton, but we can draw inspiration from his dedication, composure, and perseverance across various domains. By leveraging our unique strengths, we have the potential to achieve unexpected successes in our own pursuits. Through our actions, let's contribute to the beauty of this world.