William Wellesley-Pole, 3rd Earl of Mornington and 1st Baron Maryborough thumbnail 1
On display
Image of Gallery in South Kensington

William Wellesley-Pole, 3rd Earl of Mornington and 1st Baron Maryborough

Medal
1823 (made)
Artist/Maker
Pistrucci, Benedetto (medallist)
Place of origin
London (made)

Pistrucci was an Italian gem engraver who worked at the Royal Mint from 1816 and later became Chief Engraver. The sitter here was a Master of the Mint. Pistrucci worked in a pared-down Neo-classical style and brought a continental influence to the English medal.

Object details

Categories
Coins & Medals
Portraits
Sculpture
Object type
Medal
TitleWilliam Wellesley-Pole, 3rd Earl of Mornington and 1st Baron Maryborough (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Bronze, struck
Bronze
Brief description
Medal, bronze, portrait of Lord Maryborough, Master of the Mint, by Benedetto Pistrucci, England (London), 1823
Physical description
Obverse: bare head of Lord Maryborough, facing right.
Reverse: Inscription
Dimensions
  • Diameter: 5.07cm
Marks and inscriptions
'IN . HONOREM / VIRI . PRAENOR . G . V . POLE / BARON . MARYBOROUGH / REBVS / MONET . PER . ANN . IX . PRAEPECTI / QVLNVMOS : BRITANN / LONGO . VSO . DETRITOS / NON . SOLVM . IN . PRISTINVM . NITOREM . RESTITVIT / SED / NOVOS . / SED / PVLCHRIORES . REDDIDIT / ET . QVI . IN . NVMIS . REMITTENDIS / IN . OMNES . PARTES . REGIONIS / EA . SAPIENTIA . REM . GESSIT . VT . VBIQVE . EODEM . FERE . TEMPORE / VETVS / MONETA / IN DESVETVDINEM . ABIIT / ATQVE . IN . PVBLICA . COMMODA . DITO . NOVA . ADHIBITA / NVMVM . HVNC / OBSERVANT ATQVE . AMICIT . MONVMENTVM . CVDI FECERVNT . MONETARII / IN . OFFICINA . REGIA . LOND / A . S . MDCCCXXIII' (reverse)
Translation
'In honour of that remarkable man, William Wellesley Pole, Baron Maryborough, for nine years Master of the Mint, who not only restored the British coinage, worn out by long use, to its original splendour, but made it new and more beautiful. He organised the despatch of coins into all parts of the country with such skill that almost simultaneously everywhere the old money passed into disuse, and the new was swiftly brought into public use. The moneyers caused this medal, a memorial of their regard and friendship, to be struck at the Royal Mint in London, 1823'
Credit line
Given by Mrs J. Hull Grundy
Object history
Given by Professor J. Hull Grundy and Mrs. Ann Hull Grundy, in 1980.
Subject depicted
Wellesley-Pole, William
Summary
Pistrucci was an Italian gem engraver who worked at the Royal Mint from 1816 and later became Chief Engraver. The sitter here was a Master of the Mint. Pistrucci worked in a pared-down Neo-classical style and brought a continental influence to the English medal.
Bibliographic references
  • Brown, Lawrence. British Historical Medals 1760-1960, Vol I, The Accession of George III to the Death of William IV, London, 1980, cat. no. 1211
  • Trusted, Marjorie, ed. The Making of Sculpture. The Materials and Techniques of European Sculpture. London: 2007, p. 89, plate 153
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
A.100-1980

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Record createdMay 4, 2005
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O111650/william-wellesley-pole-3rd-earl-medal-pistrucci-benedetto/
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