Banknotes

S.W.Fores No. 7, for Groaner, Hardpinch & Self, 2 Pence, 27 July 1818, promising to pay ‘Talents, Ins & Outs, or Bearer, when the Pensioned Drone & the Destructive Monopolizing Locust, shall have been remove’d from the Hive of British Industry, by the Axe or the Halter’, signed by Shirtless Raggedbottom and Tristram Moneyless, with a vignette showing a beehive, labelled ‘Copy the Bee’ and ‘Industry blesseth a man; idleness curseth him’, about extremely fine £100-£150

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Sir David Kirch Collection of Skit Notes.

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This note seems to be a comment on the belief of the money classes that idleness amongst the workers was rife and endemic, saying that these drones and locusts should be removed by Axe or Halter! It is of course, ironic, as most people were worked to the bone in this period simply to survive, though it seems doubtful that some of the audience would have understood that.