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

guinea Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: République de Guinée), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the we ...

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 The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its purpo ...

, and appears in the group portrait by

John Zoffany Johan Joseph Zoffany (born Johannes Josephus Zaufallij; 13 March 1733 – 11 November 1810) was a German neoclassical painter who was active mainly in England, Italy and India. His works appear in many prominent British collections, includin ...

.National Portrait Gallery
/ref>

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 Duke of Cumberland is a peerage title that was conferred upon junior members of the British Royal Family, named after the historic county of Cumberland. History The Earldom of Cumberland, created in 1525, became extinct in 1643. The dukedo ...

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 Engrav ...

as chief engraver, a post he held until his death in 1779. He was a member of the

Incorporated Society of Artists The Society of Artists of Great Britain was founded in London in May 1761 by an association of artists in order to provide a venue for the public exhibition of recent work by living artists, such as was having success in the long-established P ...

in 1760, and a founding member of the

, appearing in the group portrait by

. 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 pigment, lake"

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.

Notes

Sources

External links

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