 In 1870 the House of Commons appointed a select committee on pawnbrokers, which heard testimony that during the previous year 207,780,000 pledges were lodged (30–40 million in London).The average value of pledges was about four shillings, and the number of articles pawned dishonestly was reportedly one in 14,000.Later, official statistics indicate that of forfeited pledges sold in London, less than 20 per million were claimed by the police.