Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” is said to have influenced the observance of Christmas with tight-fisted skinflint Ebenezer Scrooge tormented by the ghost of former partner Marley on a foggy Christmas Eve before being transformed by his visions into a kindly and generous character. Surprisingly, perhaps, “A Christmas Carol” isn’t one of the novels featured in our Set of The Month for December, Cope’s 1939 series of 25 Dickens Characters, but this shortcoming is compensated by some colour pictures of personalities from other books such as The Artful Dodger, Fagin and Bill Sikes (spelt Sykes on the card in the illustration below) from ‘Oliver Twist’, Sam Weller and Mr. Pickwick from ‘The Pickwick Papers’, Uriah Heep and Peggotty from ‘David Copperfield’ and many more including Mr Tike Barnacle who you may have encountered in the BBC’s production of ‘Little Dorritt’ last Autumn. There’s a quotation from the novel on the back of each card, and the set is an ideal seasonal gift.

This set of L25 Dickens Characters issued by Cope in 1939 in finest collectible condition is catalogued at £25.00.