Joseph Moore (17 February 1817 – 1901 or 1892) was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

medallist A medalist (or medallist) is an artist who designs medals, plaquettes, badges, metal medallions, coins and similar small works in relief in metal. Historically, medalists were typically also involved in producing their designs, and were usually e ...

Life and work

Born in Birmingham, Joseph Moore was apprenticed at a young age to diesinker

Thomas Halliday Thomas Halliday may refer to: * Thomas Halliday (cricketer) (1904–1977), English cricketer * Thomas Halliday (engraver) (c. 1780–c. 1854), English coin and medal engraver * Thomas Halliday (trade unionist) (1835–1919), English trade unionist ...

. He also trained under

Samuel Lines Samuel Lines (1778 – 22 November 1863) was an English designer, painter and art teacher, and an early member of the Birmingham School of landscape painters. A significant figure in the development of art in Birmingham during its rapid growt ...

, another diesinker and engraver. After completing his apprenticeship he began his own business in Birmingham with dies for button making, at the time one of the chief industries in Birmingham, and won a prize at the 1851

Great Exhibition The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, also known as the Great Exhibition or the Crystal Palace Exhibition (in reference to the temporary The Crystal Palace, structure in which it was held), was an International Exhib ...

in London for his work. While engaged in his apprenticeship and working as a buttonmaker, he studied in his own time to gain the skills of a medallist. He was a designer of medals principally, but first came to public attention when he created the 1844 Victoria One Penny Model. This penny was so popular with the public that

William Wyon William Wyon (Birmingham 1795 – 29 October 1851), was official chief engraver at the Royal Mint from 1828 until his death. Biography Wyon was born in Birmingham and, in 1809, was apprenticed to his father, Peter Wyon who was an engraver a ...

, coin die-sinker at the

Royal Mint The Royal Mint is the United Kingdom's oldest company and the official maker of British coins. Operating under the legal name The Royal Mint Limited, it is a limited company that is wholly owned by His Majesty's Treasury and is under an exclus ...

, felt 'compelled to advertise the fact that he pennieswere the result of private enterprise and not a government issue'. Later he entered the business of medallist

William Joseph Taylor William Joseph Taylor (1802 – March 1885) was a British Medalist, medallist and Engraving, engraver who produced a wide variety of medals and tokens throughout his career, including the majority of medals and tokens produced in London, as well ...

. For some time he was in a partnership, Allen and Moore in Birmingham, thought by some to be the best medallists of the later nineteenth century. Moore created some of the dies used by Heaton and Sons to produce coins and tokens. He is credited as the designer of the penny and halfpenny tokens issued by

Thomas Holloway : Thomas Holloway (22 September 180026 December 1883) was an English patent medicine vendor and philanthropist. Early life Holloway was born in Devonport, Plymouth, Devon, the eldest son of Thomas and Mary Holloway (née Chellew), who at the ...

in 1857 and 1858. It is argued that Holloway's tokens were produced in Heaton and Sons' Birmingham establishment, on the basis of cardboard impressions taken from dies bearing Holloway's head that were donated to The

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (BM&AG) is a museum and art gallery in Birmingham, England. It has a collection of international importance covering fine art, ceramics, metalwork, jewellery, natural history, archaeology, ethnography, local ...

by The Mint, Birmingham. Some of the best of Moore's work has gone without bearing his name, having been executed on commission. For half a century he engraved medals and furnished designs for exhibitions in India, Canada, America, Australia, for universities, or in commemoration of events. Moore's signature occurs in various forms: J. MOORE SC; J. MOORE F.; JOSEPH MOORE; J. M.; M.; MOORE F.; etc. While Regan states 1892 as Moore's year of death, according to Forrer he died in Birmingham in 1901.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Moore, Joseph 1817 births 1892 deaths 1901 deaths Year of death uncertain English engravers People from Birmingham, West Midlands British medallists