Description
An old poster by Jonathan Swift!
The poster tells a story about the way we lived back then in Ireland. Oh, there was bad blood and hell to pay!
Beware! You may have dodgy ha’pennys in yer pocket. If ya do, ya have a serious problem. A ha’penny would buy little or nothin’ at the present time. But and this is the but: The bould ha’penny was a handy coin ta have in yer pocket back in the 1690's. Let us say it had a bit of buying power.
This is one of the 7 pamphlets written by Jonathon Swift (30th November 1667 – 19th October 1745). Swift also penned ‘Gulliver’s Travels’. Known as the 'Drapier's Letters'. Swift was protesting against William Wood, an ironmonger who had 'won' the patent to mint halfpennies for Ireland. It was believed that he in fact bribed to get the patent. Swift condemned the coins as inferior quality and the way in which Wood had acquired the patent. Eventually, Swift influenced the Irish public to boycott the coins. The letters were written around 1724, which explains the style of language used.
Jonathon Swift was an extremely successful writer. His writings often incited the wrath of the British government, as he promoted that we should produce everything we need in Ireland instead of importing from Britain.
We are delighted to present these fascinating rarities of old Ireland for you to own. We have added a 'aged look' to this print which creates a stunning atmosphere when framed.
We look forward to helping you create your own collection that can be treasured and admired by your family for many generations to come!
Dimensions: 16” X 10” approx.