Skilled engraver

Shortly after his arrival in England, Italian-born Benedetto Pistrucci was commissioned by Master of the Mint, William Wellesley Pole, to provide portrait models of George III for new gold and silver coinage. As well as the portraits, he produced a series of stunning designs including the St George and the Dragon motif, a classic work much admired to this day.

St George and the Dragon

Paying tribute to the 1818 crown, this commemorative piece portrays Pistrucci’s St George and the Dragon. The reverse includes the inscriptions ‘PISTRUCCI’ and ‘HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE’ (shame on him who thinks evil of it), the motto of the Order of the Garter. The coin edge features the original raised edge inscription ‘DECUS ET TUTAMEN * ANNO REGNI II *’.