Happy Valentine's Day - Not

Long before political correctness and do gooders started trying to take over the world, Valentine cards were also sent telling everyone else exactly how much you don’t love them—with an anonymous poem sent via post.

While the modern Valentine's Day card is about showing love to your nearest and dearest, the Victorians didn't see it quite the same way.

Known as 'Vinegar Valentines' these mocking cards were not only used to tell the unlucky recipient that they weren't loved - they insulted them as well.

One cruelly pokes fun at a balding suitor, mocking him for his 'brightly shining pate' and for allegedly being in love with his one remaining hair.

The earliest cards appear to date from about the 1840s.

In the very early days, going back to a time in postal history before the prepaid stamp, the person who received it paid for it.

With these Valentines, it meant that the person who got this really horrible note actually paid for the insult.

So you’re insulting them further by getting them to cough up for it.