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Between 1780 & 1850 in England, dissatisfied husbands could sell their wives at auction. It was less costly than a divorce & less risky than murder.
During this period, about 300 wives were sold to the highest bidder & this figure only counts the official transactions.
During this period, about 300 wives were sold to the highest bidder & this figure only counts the official transactions.
In 1733 in Birmingham, England, for example, Samuel Whitehouse sold his wife Mary to a certain Thomas Griffiths for a guinea (about one English pound). Under the terms of the contract, Griffiths was to acquire Mary Whitehouse "with all her defects".
In 1801, a woman was even sold for a penny! But this good deal quickly raised the stakes & the final price of 5 shillings & 6 pence was reached. Sometimes, if the buyer was short of money, the transaction could still be made in exchange for a few glasses or barrels of beer.
In practice, the women were brought to the market like cattle with a harness around their necks and they were placed on a platform in front of the crowd. The auction could then start.
Indeed, very often, the couple wanted to divorce amicably but the divorce procedure at the time was too expensive, long and complicated. So selling one’s wife was the best way for some households to part ways and in addition to earning some money in the process.
It was not really legal but the authorities turned a blind eye.
And often, the woman was sold to her lover for a price agreed in advance by the husband!
And often, the woman was sold to her lover for a price agreed in advance by the husband!
This is enough Internet for the day. 
