Humphrey Paget on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
Thomas Humphrey Paget OBE (13 August 1893 – 30 April 1974) was an English medal and coin designer and modeller.
Paget's designs are indicated by the initials 'HP'.
Paget was first approached by the Royal Mint in 1936 after the accession of
Page 3377, published on 4 June 1948. Paget later designed a wide variety of issues for both Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth and non-Commonwealth countries. Notable amongst his later work included an effigy of
1951 Australian 2 Shilling piece
"struck" with Paget's initials at the
History of Paget and his work at the Royal Mint Museum
{{DEFAULTSORT:Paget, Thomas Humphrey 1893 births 1974 deaths 20th-century British printmakers 20th-century British sculptors 20th-century engravers British currency designers British engravers British medallists Coin designers English designers Officers of the Order of the British Empire
Thomas Humphrey Paget OBE (13 August 1893 – 30 April 1974) was an English medal and coin designer and modeller.
Paget's designs are indicated by the initials 'HP'.
Paget was first approached by the Royal Mint in 1936 after the accession of King Edward VIII
Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972), later known as the Duke of Windsor, was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire and Emperor of India from 20 January 19 ...
. Paget's recommendation had come via his earlier design for the obverse of a medal featuring the then-Prince of Wales. After some controversy regarding the direction the monarch was to face on the coinage (it had been tradition for each successive monarch to face in the opposite direction to the predecessor, but the King felt that the features of his left were better than his right), Paget's work was approved in two slightly differing designs: one for silver and another for non-silver. However, Edward's abdication meant that, apart from a few trial pieces, Paget's designs never reached the minting stage. Some did find their way out of the mint for testing purposes, and as such have become amongst the rarest and most collectable pieces of all sterling coinage.
A measure of the success of the Edward portrait can be seen in the fact that Paget alone was commissioned to design George VI
George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of I ...
's effigy in 1937. He is the only artist to have a second obverse design approved for use in sterling coinage in the 20th century. The portrait of George VI has since been described as "the classic coinage head of the 20th century".
Although principally known as an obverse designer, Paget carried out some work for reverses, including, most famously, a design featuring the Elizabethan galleon
Galleons were large, multi-decked sailing ships first used as armed cargo carriers by European states from the 16th to 18th centuries during the age of sail and were the principal vessels drafted for use as warships until the Anglo-Dutch W ...
the ''Golden Hind
''Golden Hind'' was a galleon captained by Francis Drake in his circumnavigation of the world between 1577 and 1580. She was originally known as ''Pelican,'' but Drake renamed her mid-voyage in 1578, in honour of his patron, Sir Christopher Hat ...
''. Originally intended for the halfcrown, it was adopted for the halfpenny in 1937 where it remained until it was withdrawn in 1969 (in readiness for decimalization in 1971).
He was awarded the O.B.E. (Civil) in the King's Birthday Honours of 1948. His O.B.E. was gazetted in the Supplement to The London Gazette, Number 3831Page 3377, published on 4 June 1948. Paget later designed a wide variety of issues for both Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth and non-Commonwealth countries. Notable amongst his later work included an effigy of
King Faisal II
Faisal II ( ar, الملك فيصل الثاني ''el-Melik Faysal es-Sânî'') (2 May 1935 – 14 July 1958) was the last King of Iraq. He reigned from 4 April 1939 until July 1958, when he was killed during the 14 July Revolution. This regici ...
of Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...
in 1955 and the 1970 Commonwealth Games medal which featured the Duke of Edinburgh. He also produced an effigy of Queen Elizabeth II for a commemorative Isle of Man
)
, anthem = "O Land of Our Birth"
, image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg
, image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg
, mapsize =
, map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe
, map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green)
in Europe ...
issue in 1965.
Paget's work remains part of current sterling circulation: his 1970 portrait of the Duke of Edinburgh appears on the reverse of a 2017 commemorative five pound coin.
References
External links
1951 Australian 2 Shilling piece
"struck" with Paget's initials at the
Museum of Victoria
Museums Victoria is an organisation which operates three major state-owned museums in Melbourne, Victoria: the Melbourne Museum, the Immigration Museum and Scienceworks Museum. It also manages the Royal Exhibition Building and a storage faci ...
History of Paget and his work at the Royal Mint Museum
{{DEFAULTSORT:Paget, Thomas Humphrey 1893 births 1974 deaths 20th-century British printmakers 20th-century British sculptors 20th-century engravers British currency designers British engravers British medallists Coin designers English designers Officers of the Order of the British Empire