The Waterloo Medal - Allied Leaders 2024 £5 2oz Silver Proof Coin

The Royal Mint’s Great Engravers Collection continues with a commemoration of Benedetto Pistrucci’s designs for the Waterloo Medal.

Beginning his career as a gem engraver in his native Rome, Pistrucci’s talents and ambition brought him to London, where he was introduced to William Wellesley Pole, then Master of the Mint; this relationship led to Pistrucci’s long and decorated association with The Royal Mint. More than talented enough to assume the position of Chief Engraver upon the death of Thomas Wyon Junior, Pistrucci never held the role in 
an official capacity. Instead, he became The Royal Mint’s Chief Medallist, a role in which he produced some fine pieces of work, including designs for the Waterloo Medal.

Taking 30 years to complete, the Waterloo Medal is a spectacular work of numismatic art, and both sides depict a rich, allegorical tapestry of the battle itself. Although it was never physically struck, the tools for the medal were preserved and are currently held in The Royal Mint Museum. Using Pistrucci’s original tooling alongside modern techniques,

The Royal Mint has reproduced the obverse design of the Waterloo Medal for the reverse of this 2024-dated coin.