Benedetto Pistrucci (1783-1855) was a talented engraver of gemstones, cameos, coins and medals. Year 1783 ( MDCCLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or Year 1855 ( MDCCCLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year

Pistrucci's St. George design

Waterloo Medal

Born in Italy, he moved to London in 1815 and was employed at the Royal Mint as an engraver, where his most famous work is his portrayal of St. George & the Dragon used on British gold sovereigns and crowns from 1817 to the present day. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Year 1815 ( MDCCCXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The Royal Mint is the body permitted to manufacture or mint, coins in the United Kingdom. The episode of Saint George and the Dragon appended to the Hagiography of Saint George was Eastern in origin brought back with the Crusaders and retold A Gold Sovereign is a Gold coin first issued in 1489 for Henry VII of England and still in production as of 2008 Year 1817 ( MDCCCXVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common He also engraved the dies for many other coins, medals, and medallions, including the Waterloo Medal, which took him over thirty years to complete. main - title Coin keywords numismatics coin review

He refused to copy the work of any other artist or engraver, and insisted that all his work was his own original work. Because of his Italian origin, he was not officially recognised as the chief engraver at the Royal Mint, and there were rivalries with other engravers including the Wyon family.

Pistrucci is buried in Virginia Water, Surrey, England. He has a prominent gravestone which cites his title as Her Majesty's "Chief Medallist". His grave is situated at the front of the Church under a tree. The website for the Church concerned is as follows: http://www.cc-vw.org The address is: Christ Church, Christ Church Road, Virginia Water, Surrey, GU25 4LD, England.

For a photograph of Benedetto Pistrucci, please click on this link: http://www.museozecca.ipzs.it/visita_pistrucci_biografia.jsp