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Sepia aquatint of a huge sphere atop a London Stock Exchange facade, serpents coiling around an arch, and men and a dog in a cobbled street.

Balloon of National Debt on the London Stock Exchange, 1785

A sepia aquatint shows a huge sphere resting on a classical Stock Exchange facade, its surface marked with curved shading, while serpents coil around a flanking arch beneath a winged emblem. Well-dressed men and a dog crowd the cobbled street in front, and the lower caption is torn and illegible.

Artist
Phelps, William, active 1780-1785.
Date
July 1. 1785
Medium
Aquatints Caricatures Allegorical prints
Source
Wellcome Collection
Size
2814 × 4000 px
Download full size
Public domain · Wellcome Collection marks it Public Domain Mark; made by 1785.
Rights checked 2026-11-05 · tier A · as stated by the source: Public Domain Mark (Wellcome Collection)

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): Wellcome Collection

Virtues and Allegories18th century1780s1785caricatureballoonaquatintallegorical printsepia printserpentlondon

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