The Publican's Coat of Arms Explain'd and Figure'd (BM 1868,0808.3565)

A mock coat-of-arms satirizing over-charging by tavern keepers. The shield is divided into three parts: the upper half contains a version of BM Satires 1918 with an excise man, holding a paper lettered "Gets by the Act 5000", sitting astride a barrel, lettered "3s p Barrel" and on its trolley, "6s raisd"; the barrel is drawn over a paper marked "Magna C-a" by a lion and accompanied by a soldier riding a unicorn; at lower left (dexter), the upper part of a grenadier holding a long-barreled gun and a tankard, upside down, lettered "3p Day"; at lower right (sinister), the upper part of a haggard gin-seller resting on a barrel and holding a small glass upside down. The crest is formed of a tankard marked "3p 1/2 Short Measure pays House Rent", and a smiling head resembling that of William Murray, Earl of Mansfield, bearing horns and antlers. As supporters, on the left, a landlady, holding a board marked with tally scores, a pocket at her waist lettered "Takes in the Pence", and a cloth hanging behind her lettered "Punch in small quantities pays Housekeeping", bowls and dishes at her feet; on the right, a landlord with a constable's staff, wearing an apron, a candle-snuffer at his waist, and at his feet a pile of pipes, papers lettered "Gazeteer" and "Ledger" and boxes on which is lettered, "Tobacco pays for Candles Pipes & Newspapers". Text below describes the coat-of-arms in heraldic terms.
Etching with some mezzotint scraping, printed in brown ink