Richard Yeo (ca 1720–1779) was a British

medalist 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 ...

and Chief Engraver 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 ...

, in which capacity he supplied patterns for the

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and five guinea coins of

George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...

. He was a founding member of the Royal Academy of Art, and appears in the group portrait by John Zoffany.National Portrait Gallery
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Life

Yeo first came to public notice in 1746, when he produced the official medal for the battle of Culloden, In the same year he issued, by subscription, another Culloden medal, its reverse showing, the Duke of Cumberland as Hercules trampling upon Discord. Before producing these medals Yeo had engraved a seal with the head of the Duke of Cumberland, drawn from life. In 1749 he was appointed assistant engraver to the

, and in 1775 succeeded

John Sigismund Tanner John Sigismund Tanner (1705 – 14 March 1775; ) was an engraver of the Kingdom of Great Britain, making dies for coins and medals. Tanner, a native of Saxe-Coburg, worked mostly for the Royal Mint at the Tower of London and was its Chief Engrave ...

as chief engraver, a post he held until his death in 1779. He was a member of the Incorporated Society of Artists in 1760, and a founding member of the Royal Academy of Art, appearing in the group portrait by John Zoffany. He exhibited at the academy in 1769 and 1770. In the first year he showed a plaster cast of a seal, engraved in steel, for the Marquis of Granby, and three impressions in sealing wax from engravings on gems. In 1770 he showed a proof of his five guinea piece. His small collection of coins and medals was sold by auction in February 1780, along with his graving tools and colours for painting, which included what the catalogue called "a quantity of his very curious and much esteemed

lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

Medals engraved

*1746, Culloden Medals *1749 Freemasons of Minorca *1750 Academy of Ancient Music *1752 Chancellor's Medal, Cambridge; *1760 Captain Wilson's Voyage to China He also made two prize medals for Winchester College, and two of the metal admission tickets for Vauxhall Gardens are signed by him. Several other Vauxhall tickets have been attributed to him, one dating to May 1733.

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* 1779 deaths Year of birth uncertain Royal Academicians {{UK-sculptor-stub