Thomas Wyon the Younger (179222/23 September 1817) was an English medallist and chief engraver at the Royal Mint.

Life

Wyon was born in Birmingham. He was apprenticed to his father, Thomas Wyon (1767–1830), the chief engraver of the King's seals, who taught him the art of engraving on steel; subsequently he studied at the sculpture school of the Royal Academy in London, where he earned silver medals in both the antique and the life class. In 1809, he struck his first medal, presented to Lieutenant Pearce, R.N. In 1810, he won the gold medal of the Society of Arts for medal engraving; the die, representing a head of Isis, was purchased by the society and used for striking its prize medals. From this period he produced many medals for schools, societies, Pitt clubs, and other institutions.

thumb|2 [[Stuiver|stivers coin of British Ceylon 1815. On the reverse are the initials of Thomas Wyon (T.W.)]]

On 20 November 1811, Wyon was appointed probationary engraver to the Royal Mint, and was employed in making the bank tokens for England and Ireland, and coins for the British colonies and for Hanover. He also engraved his medal commemorative of the peace and his Manchester Pitt medal. On 13 Oct. 1815 he was appointed chief engraver to the mint, Examples of the medal, in silver and bronze, are held in the R M Phillips Collection by the British Postal Museum & Archive.

References

  • Thomas Wyon Jnr. (jerseycoins.com)
  • Medals by Thomas Wyon (National Portrait Gallery, London)