Read the excerpt from a history of the world in 100 objects. this object has on it the image of a king, but this particular example has been appropriated by women – disfigured by a slogan as an act of female protest against the laws of the state. it is a british penny with king edward vii in elegant profile, but his image has been defaced in what was then a criminal act. stamped all over the king’s head in crude capitals are the words votes for women. this suffragette coin stands for all those who fought for the right to vote. what does the suffragette-defaced penny reveal about life in england during that time period? that the laws of the state only applied to women that women were often breaking laws to make a point that the penny was not considered a useful form of currency that women wanted to change existing laws and gain the right to vote