William Wyon

File:Family grave of William Wyon in West Norwood Cemetery.jpg]]

Wyon was born in Birmingham and, in 1809, was apprenticed to his father, Peter Wyon who was an engraver and die sinker.Wyon, William, L. Forrer, Biographical Dictionary of Medallists, Volume VI, London 1916, p. 650-687. In 1816, he went to London. He studied the works of John Flaxman, attended the schools of the Royal Academy, and gained a gold medal from the Society of Arts for a copy of the head of Ceres, and a second for an original group. In 1816 he was appointed assistant engraver to the mint, and in 1828 chief engraver. In 1831 he was elected associate and in 1838 full member of the Royal Academy.{{Cite EB9|wstitle=Wyon, William|volume=24}}{{cite DNB|wstitle=Wyon, William|volume=63|first=Warwick William|last=Wroth|authorlink=Warwick William Wroth}} He died in Brighton, United Kingdom.{{Cite Americana|wstitle=Wyon, William}} Wyon is buried under a simple rectangular York stone slab at West Norwood Cemetery. He was the father of engraver Leonard Charles Wyon.

Under the influence of Flaxman, a master of relief sculpture, Wyon was a highly visible proponent of the Neoclassicist vogue.M. Jones, "The life and work of William Wyon", in La medaglia neoclassica in Italia e in Europa : atti del quarto Convegno internazionale di studio sulla storia della medaglia, 20–23 giugno 1981: Palazzo Belgrado/Palazzo del Torso/Aula magna del CISM, Udine, CIAC libri, 1984, pp. 119–40; as cited [https://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/cm/s/silver_frosted_bronze_medal_of.aspx "Silver frosted bronze medal of St. Thomas's Hospital, by William Wyon: The Cheselden Medal", British Museum. On line.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151018122238/http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/cm/s/silver_frosted_bronze_medal_of.aspx |date=18 October 2015 }}

In 1834 he modelled the head of Princess Victoria, who was 15 years of age at the time. This work was subsequently used for the [http://cdn.collectionsbase.org.uk/gb813/silver_wyon_medal.jpg City Medal] struck in 1837 to celebrate Victoria's first visit to the City of London after her accession to the throne[http://www.imagesoftheworld.org/stamps/wyon.htm "Wyon City Medal (1837) and the Penny Black (1840)", Images of the World] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509101407/http://www.imagesoftheworld.org/stamps/wyon.htm |date=9 May 2008 }} and another medal also issued in 1837 commemorating her visit to the Guildhall.{{Cite web |url=http://www.historicalartmedals.com/MEDAL%20WEB%20ENTRIES/CITY%20OF%20LONDON/WYON-VISIT%20OF%20VICTORIA%20TO%20GUILDHALL-BW557.htm |title=Visit of Queen Victoria to the Guildhall |access-date=11 May 2008 |archive-date=23 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080423000606/http://www.historicalartmedals.com/MEDAL%20WEB%20ENTRIES/CITY%20OF%20LONDON/WYON-VISIT%20OF%20VICTORIA%20TO%20GUILDHALL-BW557.htm |url-status=dead }}

The name of William Wyon is well known among coin and medal collectors because of his prodigious output and artistic skill. He designed the second and third effigies of George IV, the effigy of William IV in 1830, working from the bust by Sir Francis Chantrey,see Carlisle, 'Memoir', quoted below at Biography and "The Young Head", which graced Victoria's coinage from 1838 to 1860 on the pennies and the rest of the coinage until 1887.{{Cite web |url=http://www.journalofantiques.com/Apr05/coinsapr05.htm |title=James C. Johnston Jr., "Victoria Regina", Journal of Antiques and Collectibles (April, 2005) |access-date=8 May 2008 |archive-date=7 August 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080807132734/http://www.journalofantiques.com/Apr05/coinsapr05.htm |url-status=dead }} He also designed the Naval General Service Medal, of which 20,933 were issued. Notable among his medallic work are the obverse designs for the prize, juror and other medals for The Great Exhibition at Crystal Palace in 1851, the year of his death in Birmingham.

Wyon's City Medal was the model for the head on the line-engraved postage stamps of 1840–79, beginning with the Penny Black, the world's first adhesive postage stamp, the embossed stamps of 1847–54 and the postal stationery 1841–1901. The primary die used for the embossed issue was engraved by Wyon; the 1s and 10d stamps have the initials "ww" along with the die number at the base of the neck. His design also influenced the surface-printed stamps first printed in 1855.[http://www.imagesoftheworld.org/stamps/stamps.htm "Great Britain Victorian Stamps", Images of the World] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321043523/http://imagesoftheworld.org/stamps/stamps.htm |date=21 March 2012 }}

{{reflist}}

• [https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&id=IVcEAAAAQAAJ&dq=Nicholas+Carlisle, Nicholas Carlisle, A memoir of the life and works of William Wyon, privately printed (1837). On line.]

• [https://www.royalmintmuseum.org.uk/journal/people/william-wyon Biography - Royal Mint Museum]
• [https://britanniacoincompany.com/blog/william-wyon-royal-mint-great-engraver/ William Wyon Biography]

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before=Jean Baptiste Merlen|

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Obverse sculptor|

years=1825|

after=Leonard Charles Wyon|

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{{Commons category|William Wyon}}

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Category:1795 births

Category:1851 deaths

Category:English engravers

Wyon, William

Category:Royal Academicians

Category:Artists from Birmingham, West Midlands

Category:British medallists

Category:Burials at West Norwood Cemetery

Category:Coin designers