Royal Institution | Albermarlest | London | 18th Jan. 1856.
My dear Tom,
Here you will find the halves1 of two fives & one ten pound note – When you let me know that they have reached you I will send the corresponding halves.
affectionately | John Tyndall
Dr. Thos Hirst | Boughton near Stockbridge Hants
RI MS JT/1/T/616
halves: For security reasons Tyndall tore bank notes into halves which he sent by separate mailings. The practice had begun in the early days of coach travel when highway robbery was a common danger. Travellers would cut banknotes or promissory notes in half, take one half on their journey and send the other half by a different coach. The halves were then joined together, cashed, and cancelled from further circulation.
Please cite as “Tyndall1185,” in Ɛpsilon: The John Tyndall Collection accessed on