Coins, Tokens, Historical Medals, Paper Money and Numismatic Books

Theatre and Entertainment, TICKETS and PASSES, Theatre and Entertainment, COVENT GARDEN, Theatre Royal, Second Theatre, O.P. [Old Price] Riots, 1809, white metal, unsigned [perhaps by P. Wyon], John Bull on an ass left, holding whips inscribed old price’s and open boxes, the animal with the head of John Philip Kemble, john bull’s advice to you is go ‘tis but a step from n. to o. on ribbon below, rev. p within o in centre, laurel, rattle and trumpet around, god save the king above, may our rights and privileges remain unchanged below, 43mm, 31.25g (W 168; D & W 17/185; BHM 675; E 1005). Light tin pest on obverse and some edge nicks between 6 and 7 o’clock, otherwise very fine and retaining original brilliance £80-100

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Tickets and Passes of London from the David Young Collection.

View
Collection

Provenance: Bt L. McCarthy November 2002.

In the wake of the rebuilding of the theatre in 1808, the proprietor John Kemble saw fit to increase prices for the boxes and the pit. A riotous demand for the old pre-1808 prices to be restored ensued, only brought to an end several months later when Kemble agreed to reduce the price of a place in the pit to that which had been previously current. Henry Clifford was the champion of the protesters