Percy Metcalfe
{{Short description|English artist, sculptor and designer}}
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{{Infobox person|name = Percy Metcalfe|image = |birth_date = 14 January 1895|birth_place = Wakefield, England, United Kingdom|death_date = 9 October 1970 (aged 75)|nationality = British|education = Royal College of Art, London|notable_works = Ashtead Pottery Collection.
Barnyard Collection}}
Percy Metcalfe, CVO, RDI (14 January 1895 Wakefield – 9 October 1970 Fulham Hospital, Hammersmith, London),[http://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/view/person.php?id=msib5_1214493852 Biographical details of Percy Metcalfe in: Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851–1951, University of Glasgow History of Art and HATII, online database 2011]. Retrieved 20 April 2014. (often spelled Metcalf without "e") was an English artist, sculptor and designer. He is recognised mostly for his coin designs and his contribution to the Ashtead Pottery Collection.
Early life
He was born on 14 January 1895{{Cite web|url=http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?r=92792988:1646&d=bmd_1445847588|title = FreeBMD Entry Info}} and died on 9 October 1970 in Fulham, London.{{cite web | url=http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?r=241504354:8423&d=bmd_1445847588 | title=FreeBMD Entry Info }} Metcalfe joined the Leeds School of Art in 1910 as a general artist.{{Cite web|url=http://dib.cambridge.org/quicksearch.do;jsessionid=5A56E890E00AB73BB3B89673E894DD94|title=Dictionary of Irish Biography – Cambridge University Press|website=dib.cambridge.org|access-date=6 October 2017}} He moved to sculpting and designing objects as an art form at the Royal College of Art in London. Here he was influenced by Francis Derwent Wood whom he worked with and was mentored by.
Life as an artist
File:George + Dragon.JPG of the 1935 Crown, featuring a modern depiction of Saint George and the Dragon. His initials are under the dragon's tail.]]
{{Coin image box 1 double
| header = 1947 rupee engraved by Metcalfe
| image = File:1 Indian rupee coin, 1947.jpg
| caption_left = Obverse: Crowned head of George VI with lettering "GEORGE VI KING EMPEROR"
| caption_right = Reverse: Bengal tiger with face value written in English, Hindi and Urdu, year and country
| width = 220
| footer = Metcalfe designed the obverse of this coin. 159,939,000 coins minted in 1947.
| position = right
| margin = 0
}}
Metcalfe designed the first coinage of the Irish Free State in 1928. The first Irish coin series consisted of eight coins. The harp was chosen as the obverse. Metcalfe was chosen out of six designers as the winner of the reverse design of the Irish Free State's currency. The horse, salmon, bull, wolf-hound, hare, hen, pig and woodcock were all on different denominations of coinage that was known as the Barnyard Collection.{{Cite web|title = 1928 coins|url = https://www.flickr.com/photos/centralbank_ie/albums/72157660459503022|website = Flickr – Photo Sharing!|access-date = 18 November 2015}}
Metcalfe's design based on the Trinity College harp was adopted as the basis for the Great Seal of the Irish Free State in 1923 and has remained the model for all official representations of the harp emblem on seals of state, Irish coinage and the coat of arms.{{Cite news|title = Tuning the harp to suit a changing Ireland|url = http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/art-and-design/tuning-the-harp-to-suit-a-changing-ireland-1.961769|newspaper = The Irish Times|access-date = 23 November 2015}}
As a result of the war from 1914 to 1918, the price of silver in the United Kingdom grew dramatically, until in 1920 British "silver" coins were worth less than the silver. Therefore, a degraded silver coinage was issued containing only fifty per cent silver. In 1935, it was George V's jubilee, and to celebrate the occasion, a crown piece containing a new design was issued. The reverse side of the coin depicts an image of St George on a horse, rearing over a dragon. Due to its modernistic design by Metcalfe it has earned little credit from collectors.{{Cite web|url=http://www.oldandsold.com/articles02/article1085.shtml|title=Coin Collecting – English Coins IV|publisher=oldandsold.com|access-date=6 October 2017}}
In 1936, Metcalfe designed the obverse crowned effigy of Edward VIII for overseas coinage which was approved by the King, but none was minted for circulation before Edward's abdication that December.Dyer, G. P. (1973) The Proposed Coinage of Edward VIII, HMSO.
Metcalfe was immediately assigned to produce a similar crowned portrait of King George VI for overseas use. This image was also used as part of the George Cross design in 1940. The George Cross is second in the order of wear in the United Kingdom honours system and is the highest gallantry award for civilians, as well as for members of the armed forces in actions for which purely military honours would not normally be granted. It also features on the flag of Malta in recognition of the island's bravery during the Siege of Malta in World War II. Metcalfe also designed the Great Seal of the Realm. He produced designs for coinage of several countries including Ireland and Australia. He created a portrait of King George V which was used as the obverse for coins of Australia, Canada, Fiji, Mauritius, New Zealand and Southern Rhodesia.
To commemorate the extraordinary visit that George VI and Queen Elizabeth set out on to North America in 1939, three series of medallions were designed for the Royal Canadian Mint. The reverse side of the coins contained a joint profile of George VI and Queen Elizabeth, which was designed by Metcalfe. This design was also used on the British Coronation Medal of 1937.
Metcalfe created a British Jubilee crown piece, which was exhibited in the Leeds College of Art in November 1946.{{cite web | url=http://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/articles/2358 | title=Percy Metcalfe, Coin Designer, (1895-1970) }}
=Other work=
In the 1930s, Metcalfe designed car mascots.
He produced many designs for Ashtead Pottery{{Cite web|title = Ashtead Potters Limited|url = http://www.ashteadpottery.com/|publisher = ashteadpottery.com|access-date = 18 November 2015}} between 1923 and 1936.[http://www.meridiangallery.co.uk/Art-Pottery/figures/ashtead.htm Ashtead Potters – Pottery Figures] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080213093440/http://www.meridiangallery.co.uk/Art-Pottery/figures/ashtead.htm |date=13 February 2008 }}
One of his sculptural works is the bronze war memorial in Durban, South Africa.{{citation needed|date=October 2020}}
= Posthumous use of designs =
In 2010, the Central Bank of Ireland issued euro coins featuring Metcalfe's Irish coin designs, specifically the salmon and horse design,{{Cite web|title = Central Bank of Ireland to Issue "Barnyard" Euro Coin Series {{!}} Coin Update|url = http://news.coinupdate.com/central-bank-of-ireland-to-issue-barnyard-euro-coin-series-0426/|website = news.coinupdate.com|access-date = 18 November 2015}} with slight modifications to represent the "new generation". This was the first time his work was presented on the euro currency.{{Citation | title = Limited Edition Solid Sterling Silver Coin honouring Percy Metcalfe's original equestrian design | url = http://www.dublinmintoffice.ie/silver-coins/silver-proof-horse-coin/?open=26&cat_id=26 | author = Office, Dublin Mint | access-date = 15 October 2013 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://archive.today/20131015142501/http://www.dublinmintoffice.ie/silver-coins/silver-proof-horse-coin/?open=26&cat_id=26 | archive-date = 15 October 2013 | df = dmy-all }}
This selection of coins is a second series of three limited edition annual mint coin sets issued by the Central Bank in honour of animals that have previously appeared on Irish coinage. The first set featured the horse while the third in the series will pay tribute to the hound. Each set in the series is followed by a silver proof €15 coin. Along with the horse and the hound, the series of coins pays tribute to three animals which have important historical connections with Ireland.
Works
Barnyard Collection. Irish Free State Currency
| class="wikitable"
!Name !Numeral !Reverse design !Image |
| Farthing
|¼d |Woodcock | |
| Halfpenny
|½d |Pig and piglets | |
| Penny
|d |Hen and chicks | |
| Threepence
|3d |Hare |{{Cite web|url = http://worldcoingallery.com/countries/Ireland_all.php|title = World Coin Gallery}} |
| Sixpence
|6d |Wolfhound | |
| Shilling
|1s |Bull | |
| Florin
|2s |Salmon | |
| Half crown
|2s6d |Horse | |
= Other coin designs =
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| scope="col" style="width:100px;" | Name
! scope="col" style="width:100px;" | Location ! scope="col" style="width:600px;" | Comments ! scope="col" style="width:150px;" | Image |
|---|
| Barnyard Collection
|Percy Metcalfe is known for designing the first set of Irish Free State coinage released in 1926. He won a competition over a few other artists. This coinage has barnyard animals on each coin and is called the 'Barnyard Set'. | The coin set is above this table. |
| Egypt coinage
|Metcalfe was assigned by the Royal Mint to design a coin for the King Farouk; his initials 'PM' can be seen in the bottom middle of the coin. | |
| Iraq King coin set
|Iraq |Metcalfe created coin effigies of two kings of Iraq. His portrait of King Faisal I first appeared on the coins of Iraq in 1931, whilst his portrait of King Ghazi was first seen on coins in 1936. This is a coin of King Ghazi. | |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.64-baker-street.org/honours/hon_george_cross.html The George Cross]
- [http://www.worldofcoins.eu/forum/index.php/topic,9021.0.html Percy Metcalfe in: World of coins]
- http://worldcoingallery.com/countries/Ireland_all.php
- http://www.irishcoinage.com/MODCAT.HTM#modfln
{{Authority control}}
{{Irish currency and coinage}}
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Category:20th-century English sculptors
Category:Alumni of the Royal College of Art
Category:Artists from Wakefield
Category:British currency designers
Category:Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order