Masterworks
The Three Graces Remastered
When Benedetto Pistrucci’s designs for the new half-crown, sixpence and shillings of 1816 attracted criticism, an ambitious young engraver saw a chance to make a name for himself. Funding the venture privately, William Wyon RA produced The Three Graces, a work of consummate skill that announced the arrival of an extraordinary new talent. Inspired by neoclassical sculptures of the Daughters of Zeus, Wyon recast them as figures representing the nations of Great Britain and Ireland, newly bound by the Act of Union 1801. Only around 50 pattern coins were struck and the design never entered circulation. Drawing on our unrivalled legacy as the original maker of British coins, The Great Engravers Collection continued with a homage to Wyon’s early career masterpiece, using modern striking techniques to breathe new life into the design. More than 200 years after the original was struck, this masterful work was realised on a stunning five-kilo coin as part of our unique Masterworks collection.