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Auction: 17020 - Autographs, Historical Documents, Ephemera and Postal History
Lot: 975

Autographs
Benedetto Pistrucci
1815 (c.) miniature A.L.S. written either to or about King George III. Written in his distinctively tiny writing and the note folded to 35x29mm. At this time he had not been in England long and is writing about his commissioned to design the coinage of K.G.III. The letter includes details of his work on the St George and Dragon design for the crown coin and describes how the lance is much shorter than on other designs, the reverse is not finished and that he is experimenting with a new technique on the cameo design. He indicates that he is not working on steel and that the in proof will be produced in gold. Photo

Benedetto Pistrucci 1784 -1855) was born in Rome. He came to London in 1815 under the patronage of the Prince Regent. His reputation as a gem engraver of outstanding ability had gone before him and, on his introduction to the Master of the Mint, he was commissioned to prepare designs for the new gold and silver coinage of George III.

Pistrucci engraved the coin portraits of both George III and George IV but is perhaps best known for his magnificent Waterloo Medal and his George & Dragon created for the new gold sovereign of 1817 and adapted for the gold five-pound piece and silver crowns of the same reign.

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Sold for
£1,300