King of the Barrel

Name: King of the Barrel — Chicago / 1955
Brand: Lost Axis
Price: 60.00 GBP
Availability: InStock

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Framed size

$140

Framed & ready to hang · Free US delivery

Edition of 50 · Numbered · Never remade

14-day returns. Free replacement if damaged.

Delivered in 4-7 business days · Crafted in the US

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The story behind this print

THE STORY · 01

Onions are the only commodity in America you can't legally trade as a futures contract.

Oil, gold, wheat — all fair game. Onions: banned since 1958.

THE CORNER · 02

In 1955, two traders quietly bought up 98% of Chicago's onions — about 30 million pounds.

Then they bet everything on the price collapsing.

THE CRASH · 03

It did. A 50-lb bag fell from $2.75 to 10 cents in one season — farmers wiped out overnight.

Sam Siegel and Vincent Kosuga walked away with millions.

THE LAW · 04

Congress banned onion futures for good in 1958 — the only ban of its kind in US history.

Still law today. 50 numbered prints. Never remade.

The edition

Edition of 50. Never remade.

Once every piece sells, we retire the artwork. No restocks, no second run, ever.

50 artworks

Once sold, they become history.

Certified authentic

Individually numbered and verified.

Tracked shipping

Ships in 4–7 days, fully tracked

Arrives perfect

Damaged in transit? Replaced free

14-day returns

Not right? Send it back

Secure checkout

Stripe-encrypted payment

Paper: 200gsm Enhanced Matte Art, archival giclée stock
Print: Giclée, museum-grade pigment inks
Longevity: Fade-resistant 100+ yrs
Sizes: A4 · A3 · A2
Frame: Solid ash — black, ready to hang

Curated pairing

Pairs beautifully with

A natural companion piece, chosen for how it hangs alongside this one.

Sargent Bear

Italy / 1943

View the piece →

Questions

A giclée print on 200gsm Enhanced Matte Art paper, mounted and framed in a classic black ash frame. The frame arrives fully assembled with fixings included, ready to hang straight out of the box. Each print is individually numbered as part of its edition of fifty.

Most art prints are produced in open editions — printed indefinitely, restocked on demand. Every Lost Axis piece is limited to exactly fifty units, never reprinted and never restocked. When the edition closes, that design is retired permanently. The numbered edition slip included with each piece reflects that.

If your print arrives damaged or isn't what you expected, return it within 14 days for a full refund or free replacement. No forms, no questions. One email to us is all it takes.

Each piece is crafted in the UK on demand. We currently ship within the United Kingdom only. Delivery takes 4-7 business days. Every order is inspected and packaged carefully before dispatch.

Every Lost Axis piece begins with a fracture — a moment when the world shifted and then forgot it had. We choose subjects that changed the course of history but never made it into the frame. The art is our attempt to give them one.

Early access for collectors

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The next collection of numbered, limited editions — seen by our list before anyone else.