Benedetto Pistrucci
Italian-born gem engraver who designed the most enduring image on British coinage: St George and the Dragon, first cut for the 1817 sovereign and still used on every gold sovereign struck today. Pistrucci was hugely talented and deeply controversial — his Coronation crown for George IV and his refusal to copy Thomas Wyon's portrait drove him into long disputes with the Royal Mint. The St George reverse alone secures his place as the single most important figure in British coin design.
Notable works
1817 sovereign reverse
St George and the Dragon — debuted that year and used continuously since.
1820 George IV crown
Pistrucci's elaborate and famously unwieldy crown design.
1819 St George halfcrown patterns
Patterns now considered some of the finest British design work.
Catalogue work
Specific catalogue attribution for Benedetto Pistrucci is being added. Their notable works listed above include all the major coins associated with this designer.