MOORE, JOSEPH (Brit.). Medallist of the second half of the nineteenth century, born at Birmingham, 17th February 1817, died there in 1901. His father had served in the Peninsular War and met with a serious accident when the future Engraver was yet a child. At ten years of age he persuaded his parents to allow him to try to earn his own living; he entered the office of a then well-known silversmith, and while there he learned drawing under Henry Follet Osler. His next step in life was when he was apprenticed for eight-and-a- half years to Thomas Halliday, a die-sinker, of Newhall Street, nearly opposite to Little Charles Street. His training with Halliday was most valuable to him. In starting business for himself he began with dies for button making, which at that time was one of the chief, if not the greatest, industry of the town. At that time a " Brummagem button " was something more than a necessary article for fastening clothes together. Buttons were made in all sorts of fanciful and really artistic designs, — approaching in not a few instances to works of art. Joseph Moore, at the Exhibition of 1851, was awarded the prize for excellent workmanship in the manufacture of buttons. Before the term of his apprenticeship drew to a close he had a strong desire to become a medallist. He obtained the requisite tools, fitted up a bench in the attic of the house in which he then lived, and, rising every morning at four o'clock he would copy some of the designs he had brought from his shop on the previous night. When eighteen years of age he for a short time was under the tuition of Samuel Lines, in whose school have been taught so many talented engravers and die-sinkers. In 1844, it was suggested to Moore that he might make a coin which would be an improvement on the heavy and cumbersome penny-piece which was then in currency. He designed a model penny — absolutely his own idea — of about the size of a farthing, inside the raised rim of which was a small piece of silver which brought its value up to the proper standard. The rim was ingeniously devised with the object of making the penny distinguishable from other coins of a similar size in the pocket merely by feeling it. There was an enormous demand for these tokens; so great, indeed, that Wyon, the coin die-sinker to the Mint, when he came to consult Moore about his system of making dies so that they would not break, good-humouredly explained that they had met with such favour with the public that he had been compelled to advertise the fact that they were the result of private enterprise and not a Government issue. Later, the Engraver entered, under advantageous conditions, the business of W. James Taylor, medallist, Summer Lane. Mr. Ralph Heaton of the Mint, and Mr. James Hinks were the first to give him remunerative work. At that period the Birmingham Mint was making dies for currency, and in their production Moore's services were required. By the very necessities of his case he has been unfortunate, inasmuch as some of the best of his work has gone forth far and wide without bearing his name, having been executed on commission for leading Art firms. For half a century he devoted himself exclusively to engraving medals and furnishing designs for exhibitions in India, Canada, America, Australia, for Universities, or in commemoration of all the principal events that have occurred during that period. Whilst the general public may never know half of the excellent work he has performed, in Art circles it has not been unrecognised nor unappreciated. “ Amongst the best known productions of Moore's skill is the medal representing" Christus Consolator", which he executed when he was 29 years of age. At the time it attracted much attention. It contained 16 figures. When the idea of reproducing it on a medal was mentioned to Mr. Peter Hollins, he urged Moore not to attempt to carry it out. He pointed out the difficulty of retaining on a medal only two-and-a-quarter inches across the individuality of the features of the 16 figures in the picture. But Moore tried, and this very successfully. When Queen Victoria visited Birmingham in 1858 for the purpose of opening Aston Hall, Moore designed the medal in commemoration of the occasion. A gold impression of the medal — the cost of which was chiefly defrayed by Mr. R. Heaton — was presented to Her Majesty, who expressed her high appreciation of it. He also made the die for the medal of the late John Henry Chamberlain, whose features are reproduced with great fidelity. On the reverse side of this medal is the Art building, with the inscription : " Given for Design in memory of a Master of Design ". Moore was one of the most energetic members of the now moribund Art Guild, in which, during the period of its existence, he took much interest; and in the formation of the Midland Art Club, he rendered valuable assistance" (Birmingham Faces and Places, 1898, p. 45.) For some time, Joseph Moore was in partnership with Mr. Allen, and the business was carried on under the style of ALLEN & MOORE, at Great Hampton Row, Birmingham. (Vide ALLEN & MOORE, Vol. I, P.41.) Beside the Aston Hall medal, mentioned above, I have a note of the following medallic productions of this Engraver : Set of English Cathedrals; — Welsh medals of the Portmadoc Eisteddfod, 1851 (signed : A. & M.) ; — Royal National Eisteddfod, viz. Carnavon, 1877 (signed : J. MOORE BIRM. , illustrated), and others; — Medals, of Public Institutions, as those of King Edward's Grammar School, and the Institution for the Blind ; — Prize and Exhibition medals, and Medals and Badges of Societies, Orders, and Lodges ; —Meeting of the British Association at Birmingham, 1849 ; — Eminent Men : Lord Brougham ; — Sir Charles Napier ; — Duke of Wellington; — General Gordon; — George Frederick Müntz, 1890; — George Dawson; — Rt Hon. Joseph Chamberlain; — John Henry Chamberlain ; — Nathan Mayer Rothschild ; — Johann Ronge; — Prince Oscar of Sweden, on his Visit to the Works of G. R. Collis, Birmingham, 1862 (signed : J. MOORE F.); — The Duke of Leinster, Lodge of Free Masons, Lima, Peru, 1861; — John Bright and others, Corn Law Agitation, 1846 (signed : A. & M.BIRMm); — Richard Cobden, Free Trade established, 1846 ; — Charles Giles Bridle Daubeny, M. D., Meeting of the British Association at Cheltenham, 1856 (sev. var.); — Thomas Holloway, 1857 (sev. var.); — Another, Advertising medalets, 1858 (sev.var.); — Robert Burns, Centenary, 1859 (signed : J. MOORE SZ); Martin Luther; — Joseph Paxton, architect of the Crystal Palace; — William Roscoe, Centenary, 1853, — Dr Wm Ross Jordan, Birmingham, 1890 (A. J. N. 803); — Dr Lawson Tait, Birmingham, 1890 (A J. N. 892 ; in Boston collection ; illustrated); — Dr John Dalton, Manchester, 1781 (struck between 1850 and 1870) ; — Lord Brougham, National Association for the Promotion of Social Science, 1857; — Dr C. B. G. Daubeny, Oxford (A. J. N. 631); — Dr Sir Charles Hastings, British Medical Association (A. J. N. 656); — Augustus Graham, Brooklyn Institute; — Schiller (Medal executed in commission for the William Tell Society, and published by C. L. Norton, a Birmingham bookseller); — Opening of the Clifton Suspension Bridge, Bristol, 1864; —Completion of Plymouth Breakwater, 1848; — Society of Arts School of Design, Birmingham, designed by T. Clark; — Edward VI. Grammar School, Birmingham, Tercentenary celebration, 1852; — Industrial Exhibition at Plymouth, 1865 ; — French Revolution of 1848 (5 var.); — Eug?ne Cavaignac, 1848; — John Frothingham, British Canadian Schools; — Canadian Jubilee Medals of Queen Victoria, 1887, and 1897, &c. By Moore are also some Patterns for coins : Model Crown (undated) ; — Model Two Shilling piece (signed : A. & M., illustrated, Vol. I, p. 41); — Penny of Queen Victoria, 1860 (sev. var. ; one illustrated). " These Patterns", says Montagu "were sent by Moore to the Mint for the approval of the Government, but were not accepted. The dies were destroyed in 1886 after several examples had been restruck in silver, white metal, bronze and copper"; — Australian Tradesmen's Tokens; — Cent and Half Cent of Rajah Brooke, of Sarawak, North Borneo (engraved for the Mint, Birmingham). G. W. de Saulles, late Chief-engraver at the Royal Mint, 1893- 1903, worked for Joseph Moore from 1888 to 1892. Moore's signature occurs in various forms : J. MOORE SC; — J. MOORE F. ; — JOSEPH MOORE; — J. M.; — M. ; — MOORE F., &C. Bibliography. — S. M. Spink, Catalogue of Mr. Montagu's collection of Coins from George I. to Victoria, London, 1891. — Hildebrand, op. cit. — Marvin, op. cit. — Numismatic Chronicle, 1888- 1003. — Cochran-Patrick, Scottish Medals. — Montagu, Copper Coins of England, 1893. — W. J. Davis, Token Coinage of Warwickshire. — Id., Nineteenth Century Token Coinage, 1904. — De Saulcy, Souvenirs numismatiques, &c. — Dr Horatio R. Storer, MS Notes. — Mc Lachlan, Canadian Diamond Jubilee Medals, 1897.
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
MICHAUT, AUGUSTE FRANCOIS
MICHAUT, AUGUSTE FRANCOIS (French). Sculptor, Medallist, and Engraver of coins, born at Paris, 29. September 1786, died there in December 1879, at the age of ninety-six. He was a pupil of Moitte, Lemot, and Galle, and in 1812 he obtained at the Salon the " Second Grand Prix pour Rome ", for medal-engraving, the subject being : The French Hercules. This artist will better be remembered as a Coin-engraver than as a Medallist. His dies of Louis XVIII. and Charles X. are undoubtedly his best product...
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MICHAUT, AUGUSTE FRANCOIS (French). Sculptor, Medallist, and Engraver of coins, born at Paris, 29. September 1786, died there in December 1879, at the age of ninety-six. He was a pupil of Moitte, Lemot, and Galle, and in 1812 he obtained at the Salon the " Second Grand Prix pour Rome ", for medal-engraving, the subject being : The French Hercules. This artist will better be remembered as a Coin-engraver than as a Medallist. His dies of Louis XVIII. and Charles X. are undoubtedly his best product...
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MICHAUX, ALPHONSE
MICHAUX, ALPHONSE (Belg.). Coin-engraver and Medallist, born at Brussels, 15. December 1860; pupil of the Academy of Fine Arts of that city. In 1895 he was appointed Chief-engraver (Chef de la fabrication des coins monétaires) at the Brussels Mint, but had been connected with the Mint since 1878. By him are the dies of a certain number of Belgian coins, amongst which I may mention the new Nickel 10 and 5 Centimes pieces of Belgium, with holes in centre (one illustrated); also the Nickel 10 and 5...
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MICHAUX, ALPHONSE (Belg.). Coin-engraver and Medallist, born at Brussels, 15. December 1860; pupil of the Academy of Fine Arts of that city. In 1895 he was appointed Chief-engraver (Chef de la fabrication des coins monétaires) at the Brussels Mint, but had been connected with the Mint since 1878. By him are the dies of a certain number of Belgian coins, amongst which I may mention the new Nickel 10 and 5 Centimes pieces of Belgium, with holes in centre (one illustrated); also the Nickel 10 and 5...
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MICHAUX, ROBERT
MICHAUX, ROBERT (Belg.). Engraver and Medallist, born at Brussels, 30. June 1824, died there 6. June 1901. Pupil of Hart. He is the father of Alphonse Michaux, the present Mint-engraver at Brussels. This Die-sinker's signature occurs on a medal commemorating the Death of King Charles XV. oi Sweden, and struck at Brussels in 1873, on commission for a Swedish firm of publishers. By the same artist is a Portrait-medal of Lagerberg, the well-known Swedish numismatist, dated 1872, and the Inauguratio...
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MICHAUX, ROBERT (Belg.). Engraver and Medallist, born at Brussels, 30. June 1824, died there 6. June 1901. Pupil of Hart. He is the father of Alphonse Michaux, the present Mint-engraver at Brussels. This Die-sinker's signature occurs on a medal commemorating the Death of King Charles XV. oi Sweden, and struck at Brussels in 1873, on commission for a Swedish firm of publishers. By the same artist is a Portrait-medal of Lagerberg, the well-known Swedish numismatist, dated 1872, and the Inauguratio...
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MICHEL, GEORGES CHARLES PROSPER
MICHEL, GEORGES CHARLES PROSPER (French). Contemporary Gem-engraver, born at Rouen; pupil of Amable Simon. By him are the following works : 1879. St. George spearing the Dragon, sard; — Ariadne, sard; — 1880. The Archangel Michael crushing Satan, amethyst; — 1881. Oedipus divining the secret of the Sphinx, sard cameo; — The Secret from on high, after Moulin, sard cameo; — Head of Ariadne, sard cameo ; — 1882. Portrait of Jules Grévy, sard intaglio; — 1883. Zephyr, after Proud'hon, cameointaglio ...
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MICHEL, GEORGES CHARLES PROSPER (French). Contemporary Gem-engraver, born at Rouen; pupil of Amable Simon. By him are the following works : 1879. St. George spearing the Dragon, sard; — Ariadne, sard; — 1880. The Archangel Michael crushing Satan, amethyst; — 1881. Oedipus divining the secret of the Sphinx, sard cameo; — The Secret from on high, after Moulin, sard cameo; — Head of Ariadne, sard cameo ; — 1882. Portrait of Jules Grévy, sard intaglio; — 1883. Zephyr, after Proud'hon, cameointaglio ...
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