Flag of the City of London about the 13th century. His full figure representation was rapidly replaced with his symbolic representation of the sword. Some believe the sword is a dagger that commemorates the dagger of Sir William Walworth, former Lord Mayor of London, which killed Wat Tyler, leader of the Peasants' Revolt, in 1381. A verse at Fishmongers' Hall may explain the relationship: "Brave Walworth, Knight, lord mayor that slew Rebellious Tyler in his alarmes; The king therefore did give him in lieu The dagger to the city armes. However this is believed to be a fable, with the sword on the arms being used
Samuel Birch (Lord Mayor of London) the lord mayor, and on the reverse a representation of a wheatsheaf, with the legend, 'Free Importation, Peace and Plenty.' During his mayoralty the marble statue of George III by Chantrey, the inscription on which was written by Birch, was placed in the council chamber of Guildhall. Almost his last act as lord mayor was to lay the foundation-stone of the London Institution in Finsbury Circus (then called the Amphitheatre, Moorfields) on 4 November 1815. In 1836 Birch, who had for many years carried on his father's old business in Cornhill, disposed of it to Messrs. Ring & Brymer, the