Back in 2015, for the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, the Royal Mint refreshed the original tooling for the unstruck Battle of Waterloo medal and produced a 250 gram, antique-finished version with a mintage of 1,815 pieces. You can read all about the history of the piece in that article, so we won’t reproduce it all here again.

This new release is part of the mints impressive Great Engravers series, and unlike the 2015 release, is a full coin, not a medallion. The downside to that is the loss of the reverse face, replaced by the effigy of King Charles III. The reverse of the coin is actually the obverse of the original medallion, and the main element of this are the busts of the four Allied commanders, Prince Regent (later George IV), Francis II of Austria, Alexander I of Russia and Frederick William II of Prussia.

It’s a quite beautiful design by Benedetto Pistrucci, steeped in historical significance. The range of formats on offer is quite extensive, but unfortunately, only one of them is under £500, going right up to the 5kg gold at £437k. All are nicely boxed with a Certificate of Authenticity, but you’d expect nothing less at these prices. Available now.

PRESS RELEASE

The Royal Mint’s Great Engravers Collection continues with a commemoration of Benedetto Pistrucci’s designs for the Waterloo Medal. Beginning his career as a gem engraver in his native Rome, Pistrucci’s talents and ambition brought him to London, where he was introduced to William Wellesley Pole, then Master of the Mint; this relationship led to Pistrucci’s long and decorated association with The Royal Mint. More than talented enough to assume the position of Chief Engraver upon the death of Thomas Wyon Junior, Pistrucci never held the role in an official capacity. Instead, he became The Royal Mint’s Chief Medallist, a role in which he produced some fine pieces of work, including designs for the Waterloo Medal.

Taking 30 years to complete, the Waterloo Medal is a spectacular work of numismatic art, and both sides depict a rich, allegorical tapestry of the battle itself. Although it was never physically struck, the tools for the medal were preserved and are currently held in The Royal Mint Museum. Using Pistrucci’s original tooling alongside modern techniques, The Royal Mint has reproduced the obverse design of the Waterloo Medal for the reverse of this 2024-dated coin.