Banknote Gallery

Old Patch, (1897). Creator: Unknown

Old Patch, (1897). Portrait of Old Patch, a notorious forger of banknotes, so called because he supposedly wore an eye-patch as one of his disguises. He operated in London in the 1780s, and apparently made his own ink and paper. He was eventually caught, and hanged himself in his cell. From Old and New London, Volume I, by Walter Thornbury. [Cassell and Company, Limited, London, Paris & Melbourne, 1897]

© The Print Collector / Heritage-Images

A satirical banknote: crime, punishment and protest, 1819 (1894). Artist: George Cruikshank

A satirical banknote: crime, punishment and protest, 1819. Until 1832 the act of forgery in Britain and sometimes even the use of a forged banknote, was punishable by death. The British Government and the Bank of England were both much criticised for their officious application of the law. This powerful and unusual cartoon of a banknote was designed by the satirical cartoonist George Cruikshank (1792-1878). Cruikshank's note features gruesome illustrations such as skulls, a hangman's noose and transportation ships. From The Strand Magazine: July to December, 1894

© The Print Collector