Pig's Meat published by Thomas Spence
Noted Advocates for the Rights of Man
Thomas Spence
Sir Thomas More
Thomas Paine
Thomas Spence (1750-1814) was a Radical democrat and advocate of the common ownership of land.
He kept a book-stall in High Holborn, London and produced tokens to promote his radical political ideas and proposals. At a time when Britain was fighting Republican France such activity could be taken as sedition and treason.
In 1794, along with other members of the London Corresponding Society, he spent seven months in Newgate Gaol on a charge of high treason, and in 1801 he was sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment for seditious libel.
Thomas Spence published Pigs' Meat in 72 parts for a penny each between 1793-4. It was subtitled ‘Lessons for the Swinish Multitude’ (the latter being taken from Burke’s ‘Reflections on the Revolution in France’) and contained extracts from radical writings.
The token shows a wild pig trampling upon a crown, mace and crosier (King, Parliament, Church) and a large liberty cap above as a banner from the pig's mouth.
He kept a book-stall in High Holborn, London and produced tokens to promote his radical political ideas and proposals. At a time when Britain was fighting Republican France such activity could be taken as sedition and treason.
In 1794, along with other members of the London Corresponding Society, he spent seven months in Newgate Gaol on a charge of high treason, and in 1801 he was sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment for seditious libel.
Thomas Spence published Pigs' Meat in 72 parts for a penny each between 1793-4. It was subtitled ‘Lessons for the Swinish Multitude’ (the latter being taken from Burke’s ‘Reflections on the Revolution in France’) and contained extracts from radical writings.
The token shows a wild pig trampling upon a crown, mace and crosier (King, Parliament, Church) and a large liberty cap above as a banner from the pig's mouth.