Raising the wind by Royal Authority, Robert Seymour, 1830

Two old-clothes men (left), aged and bearded jews, bargain for the discarded gold-laced uniforms of two officers, one of whom lounges on two windsor chairs, while the other leans against his chair. Both officers are very plainly dressed, have small moustaches without whiskers, wear flat forage-caps and smoke cigars. A short jacket is displayed scarecrow-wise on a stand and ticketed '£5 4 0'. The jews bid competitively, holding between them a heavily braided tunic: 'thirty pounds for the lot', at ascending sums up to: 'mine got! fifty'. On the floor are the jews' bundles, a pile of hats, and embroidered uniforms, with a single glass (reversed) and bottle of cape wine (symbol of regimental austerity). Below the title: 'his majesty intends diminishing the extravagant expense of the military officers dresses. "see the papers"'. July 12 1830 lithograph. Date: 1830. Dimensions: Height: 233 mm (image); Width: 345 mm. Medium: paper. Depicted People: William IV, King of the United Kingdom. Collection: British Museum. Raising the wind by Royal Authority (BM 1868,0808.9197)