Persons who practice the fraud of dropping a ring or other article, and picking it up before the person intended to be defrauded, they pretend that the thing is very valuable to induce their gull to lend them money, or to purchase the article. See FAWNY RIG, and MONEY DROPPERS.
DROP COVES
Meaning of DROP COVES in English
Slang English vocab. Английский сленговый словарь. 2012