Victorian Bournemouth (220) analysed how the resort’s civic leaders introduced it to the dazzling yet perilous realm of Corporation Stock. With support from the government and the Bank of England, towns took encouragement to venture into this dangerous area. However, unsuspecting civic leaders risked stumbling if their town’s image of prosperity wavered. This could lead to a drop in stock prices and an increase in interest rates, making future issuance more difficult. Leveraging Bournemouth’s history of successful marketing, the town’s Councillors perhaps had less to fear from this financial trap compared to managers of other towns.