Mary Peck Butterworth began one of the largest counterfeiting rings in New England in 1716. It was a huge success, and all her tricks of the trade were learned from running a home.

Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/GettyMary Peck Butterworth didn’t need the money.She was born into a prominent Rehoboth, Massachusetts, family and married at the age of 25 to a ...