Philip Alston | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 18, 1740 or 1741 Province of South Carolina (British Royal Colony), British North America, British Empire, present-day South Carolina |
| Died | After 1799 but before 1807 (aged 59-67?) |
| Nationality | American, Spanish |
| Other names | Phelipe Alston, Alston, Alston the Counterfeiter, Ruffles, Gentleman Counterfeiter |
| Occupation(s) | counterfeiter, river pirate, criminal gang leader, planter, thief, land speculator, soldier, politician, tavern keeper, salt maker, fur trader, banker, businessman, teacher, preacher, farmer, empresario |
| Employer(s) | Spanish government, self-employed |
| Known for | Counterfeiting coins in the Carolinas, Virginia, Natchez, West Florida and at Cave-in-Rock, along the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, as an associate of John Duff, being one of the first settlers, bankers, and businessmen, of Russelville, Kentucky, and empresario in New Madrid, Spanish Louisiana Territory |
| Title | Empresario of Mexico |
| Movement | Natchez Revolt of 1781, Cumberland Compact of 1780, Yazoo Land Scandal of 1795 |
| Spouses |
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| Children | Peter Alston |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  Kingdom of Great Britain British West Florida |
| Service | British Army Loyalist local volunteer corps |
| Years of service | 1781 |
| Unit | Natchez Volunteers |
| Battles / wars | American Revolutionary War
|
Philip Alston (Feb. 18, 1740 or 1741 – after 1799) was an 18th-century Spanish-American counterfeiter, both before and after the American Revolution. He operated in Virginia and the Carolinas before the war, and in Kentucky and Illinois afterward. He was associated with Cave-in-Rock and his son, outlaw Peter Alston, and counterfeiter John Duff. He was an early American settler in Natchez, as well as in the Cumberland and Red River valleys in Kentucky and Tennessee.