Cruikshank, "there were one-pound
Bank of England notes in circulation, and unfortunately there were
forged one-pound bank notes in circulation also; and the punishment for
passing these forged notes was in some cases transportation for life,
and in others DEATH.

[Illustration: Mr. G. Cruikshank.]

"At that time, I resided in Dorset Street, Salisbury Square, Fleet
Street, and had occasion to go early one morning to a house near the
Bank of England; and in returning home between eight or nine o'clock,
down Ludgate Hill, and seeing a number of persons looking up the Old
Bailey, I looked that way myself, and saw several human beings hanging
on the gibbet, opposite Newgate prison, and, to my horror, two of them
were women; and upon enquiring what the women had been hung for, was
informed that it was for passing forged one-pound notes. The fact that a
poor woman could be put to death for such a minor offence had a great
effect upon me, and I at once determined, if possible, to put a stop to
this shocking destruction of life for merely obtaining a few shillings
by fraud; and well knowing the habits of the low class of society in
London, I felt quite sure that in very many cases the rascals who had
forged the notes induced these poor ignorant women to go into the
gin-shops to get 'something to drink,' and thus _pass_ the notes, and
hand them the change.

[Illustration: BANK RESTRICTION NOTE

Specimen of a Bank Note--not to be imitated.

_Submitted to the Consideration of the Bank Directors and the inspection
of the Public._]

"My residence was a short distance from Ludgate Hill (Dorset Street);
and after witnessing the tragic-scene, I went home, and in ten minutes
designed and made a sketch of this '_Bank-note not to be imitated_.'
About half-an-hour after this was done, William Hone came into my room,
and saw the sketch lying on my table; he was much struck with it, and
said, 'What are you going to do with this, George?'

"'To publish it,' I replied. Then he said, 'Will you let me have it?' To
his request I consented, made an etching of it, and it was published.
Mr. Hone then resided on Ludgate Hill, not many yards from the spot
where I had seen the people hanging on the gibbet; and when it appeared
in his shop windows, it caused a great sensation, and the people
gathered round his house in such numbers that the Lord Mayor had to send
the City police (of that day) to disperse the CROWD. The Bank directors
held a mee