BLONDEAU, PIERRE (French). Coin-engraver and Medallist of Paris ; inventor of a machine for striking coins and medals. At the request of the Parliament he came to England in Sept. 1649, and in 1656, he obtained a pension of ? 100 a year. He soon afterwards returned to France, to come back at the Restoration, when Charles II. confirmed his grant. He was appointed Provost of the moneyers and engineers at the London Mint to carry out his improvements, which office he held from the 14th, Charles II. (1661) until the 28th of the same king, when his patent of fourteen years expired. In April 1664 lie left England for Poland. We read the following notes in Hawkins : "As early as the year 1649 the Parliament, having obtained information respecting the improvements made in the manufacturing of coins by the inventions and ingenuity of Blondeau, then residing at Paris, invited him over to this country, that our coinage might be improved by his new process. Much jealousy was excited at the Mint by this attempt to introduce a foreigner, and the moneyers produced some proof pieces, by David Ramage, one of their company, to show that foreign aid was not required. Though these pieces were very inferior in neatness of execution to those of Blondeau, the opposition was successful and he left the kingdom. The pattern for a Half-crown which he produced is the first piece struck in this country which bore an inscription upon its edge. After this successful resistance to the introduction of improvement, coins continued to be struck by the same inefficient process as before, till the year 1662. Towards the close of the preceding year it had been resolved to introduce the new process, and houses, mills, engines, and other materials for coinage of money by the mill, were ordered to be erected ; all engraving of dies except in the Tower of London was prohibited, and Simon the engraver was required to bring in all the tools and engines for coining in his possession. In April, 1662, Blondeau, who had been again sent for out of France, was taken into the Mint, and an agreement was entered into with him " to furnish all the mills, rollers, presses, and other instruments, to cut, flatten, make round and size the pieces; the engine to mark the edges of the money with letters and grainings, the great presses for the coinage of monies, and all other tools and engines for the new way of coining ". Blondeau also engaged " to discover his secrets in rounding pieces before they are sized, and in marking the edges of the monies with letters and grainings unto his Majesty and unto the Warden, Master and Worker, and Comptroller of the Mint", &c. Of the trial pieces executed by Blondeau in 1651, we know two types of Half-crowns, differing only in the reading on the edge (which read respectively : — TRVTH : AND : PEACE : 1651 — PETRVS : BLOND?VS : INVENTOR : FECIT. and: — IN . THE . THIRD . YEARE . OF FREEDOME . BY . GODS . BLESSING. RESTORED. 1651) the Shilling, and the Sixpence, of same design, all in silver, although, according to the artist's own statement, he struck some in gold. The dies were cut by Simon (Num. Chron. N.S., vol.. IV, p. 218). Franks and Grueber mention this artist in connection with the small badge bearing a bust of Charles II. on obv. and two angels supporting a crown on R, but the pattern Half-crown of the Commonwealth, with similar design of R is by Ramage, and not by Blondeau. In the Num. Chronicle, for 1839, p. 165, there is an interesting article on "Blondeau's proposal for reforming the coinage England ". Bibliography. — Ruding, Annals of the Coinage, 1840. — Hawkins, Silver coins of England, 1887. — H. W. Henfrey, Numismata Cromwelliana, 1887.
Source: Biographical dictionary of medallists; coin, gem, and seal-engravers, mint-masters, ancient and modern, with references to their works B.C. 500-A.D. 1900; compiled by L. Forrer, London 1904
Source: Biographical dictionary of medallists; coin, gem, and seal-engravers, mint-masters, ancient and modern, with references to their works B.C. 500-A.D. 1900; compiled by L. Forrer, London 1904
BENSHEIMER, JOHANN
BENSHEIMER, JOHANN (Germ.). Medallist, Designer and Engraver of Breslau, between 1685 and 1693. His signature I B. appears on a medal, struck probably in 1666, of the Empress Margaret Theresa of Austria, second consort of Leopold I. By him are also two large medals of John George II. of Saxony, 1658, and Leopold I. ; others commemorating the Peace of Oliva, 1660, with view of the city of Danzig; — Baptismal and Religious Medals, Love tokens, &c. This copper-plate engraver's name appears also as ...
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BENSHEIMER, JOHANN (Germ.). Medallist, Designer and Engraver of Breslau, between 1685 and 1693. His signature I B. appears on a medal, struck probably in 1666, of the Empress Margaret Theresa of Austria, second consort of Leopold I. By him are also two large medals of John George II. of Saxony, 1658, and Leopold I. ; others commemorating the Peace of Oliva, 1660, with view of the city of Danzig; — Baptismal and Religious Medals, Love tokens, &c. This copper-plate engraver's name appears also as ...
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BENZI, MASSIMILIANO SOLDANI
BENZI, MASSIMILIANO SOLDANI (Ital.). A Florentine Painter, Sculptor and Medallist of the seventeenth century ; pupil of Danicle da Volterra and Ciro Ferri. He has left a large number of statuettes and figures in gold and bronze, executed mostly for Queen Christina of Sweden, Pope Innocent XI., and other celebrated persons. He is said to be the author of a large Portrait-medallion of Louis XIV. Bibliography. — A. Durand, Ms. Catalogue of Medallists, &c. — Orlandi, Abecedario. — De Fontenay, Dicti...
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BENZI, MASSIMILIANO SOLDANI (Ital.). A Florentine Painter, Sculptor and Medallist of the seventeenth century ; pupil of Danicle da Volterra and Ciro Ferri. He has left a large number of statuettes and figures in gold and bronze, executed mostly for Queen Christina of Sweden, Pope Innocent XI., and other celebrated persons. He is said to be the author of a large Portrait-medallion of Louis XIV. Bibliography. — A. Durand, Ms. Catalogue of Medallists, &c. — Orlandi, Abecedario. — De Fontenay, Dicti...
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BERCKEL, THEODORE VICTOR VAN
BERCKEL, THEODORE VICTOR VAN (Belg.). Medallist and Mintengraver, born at Bois-le-Duc on the 21. April 1739, died there on the 19. September 1808. From an early age, he showed a pronounced taste for trie study of the Fine Arts, and readily learned drawing. Under Marne, Mint-engraver at Cleves, he was trained as a Diesinker, for which particular branch he seemed to have special abilities. On his return to Holland, he settled at Rotterdam, where he married, and continued practising his art. His re...
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BERCKEL, THEODORE VICTOR VAN (Belg.). Medallist and Mintengraver, born at Bois-le-Duc on the 21. April 1739, died there on the 19. September 1808. From an early age, he showed a pronounced taste for trie study of the Fine Arts, and readily learned drawing. Under Marne, Mint-engraver at Cleves, he was trained as a Diesinker, for which particular branch he seemed to have special abilities. On his return to Holland, he settled at Rotterdam, where he married, and continued practising his art. His re...
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BERCKHAUSEN, HIERONYMUS
BERCKHAUSEN, HIERONYMUS (Germ.). A Nuremberg Goldsmith, 1567-1657. On the commemoration medal of the Rathhaus by Holdermann he signs himself as the "Finisher". He probably only chased the work of his pupil. Another with portrait of Heinrich Mülleg is also attributed to him. C. Clauss mentions that several medals are known by him. Erman places him among the Nuremberg medallists and gives the date of issue of his medal as 1619. Bibliography. — Erman, Deutsche Medailleure, p. 79. — Bolzenthal, op. ...
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BERCKHAUSEN, HIERONYMUS (Germ.). A Nuremberg Goldsmith, 1567-1657. On the commemoration medal of the Rathhaus by Holdermann he signs himself as the "Finisher". He probably only chased the work of his pupil. Another with portrait of Heinrich Mülleg is also attributed to him. C. Clauss mentions that several medals are known by him. Erman places him among the Nuremberg medallists and gives the date of issue of his medal as 1619. Bibliography. — Erman, Deutsche Medailleure, p. 79. — Bolzenthal, op. ...
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