

Cigarette card with a colour image of a man carrying a sack of coal on his back entitled 'Small Coale'. Text on reverse reads:'As a result of the many complaints against coal as a public nuisance, it was not until 1625 that it came into common use in London. At that time the small-coal man went from door to door with his supply of coal on his back bawling his cry “Small coale a penny a peake” (peck) , an interesting indication of a city with very few fire to be kept replenished.' Number 5 in a set of 25 cigarette cards entitled 'Cries of London'. Issued by John Player & Sons, a branch of the Imperial Tobacco Co. Ltd.