Here's an excerpt from the article:

"The macabre 'merch' contained the faces of three men who had been convicted of the infamous murder of a London solicitor over an unpaid debt.

The 1823 case of John Thurtell, William Probert and Joshua Hunt gained such interest at the time that it is regarded as the first trial by newspaper.Thurtell, the son of the mayor of Norwich, was hanged at Hertford Prison in front of 15,000 people.

The porcelain mug was made to commemorate the grim event and was probably sold at a travelling fair set up at the execution."

The Sunderland earthenware piece had belonged to a Devon-based collector. We gave it an estimate of £500 but on the day there was fierce bidding between two bidders, and the hammer went down at £5,800! A great result for the vendor. 

To read the article visit the Daily Mail here!