CelebWiki:Today's featured article/January 30, 2022

Benedetto Pistrucci (1783–1855) was an Italian gem-engraver, medallist and coin engraver, probably best known for his design of Saint George and the Dragon for the British sovereign coin. Born in Rome, he became prominent as a cameo carver. In 1815, he moved to Britain, where he would live for most of the rest of his life. His talent brought him to the attention of William Wellesley-Pole, Master of the Mint. Pole engaged Pistrucci to design new coinage, including the sovereign, which was first issued in 1817 to mixed reactions. In 1819 he was commissioned to create the Waterloo Medal, a huge piece some 5.3 inches (130 mm) in diameter that the British government planned to award to the generals and national leaders who had defeated Napoleon. He took thirty years to complete the design, but because of the coin's great size it could not be struck. After Pistrucci's death, the George and Dragon design was restored to the sovereign coin, and is still used today.