The Sun.
London, England, 1818-10-19 00:00:00

NEW CROWN I'ItC,ES.

The,Order in Council for the coinage of the
new Crown-pieces (the first that have been struck
during the'present extended reign),, has at length
been issued. This coin will complete the set ies of
the new silver monies. The obverse is impressed
with the effigy of his Majesty, with the inset ip-
lion, '' Gent gins 111., D. Li." and the reverse has
the figure of St George encountering the dragon,
surrounded by the Garter.' The edge of the piece
is marked'ih raised letters with the words "Perms
et tuOmen," and the year of the King's reign
The head of the King is modelled in the antique
style, atter the character of the Greeks, and com-
bines with the gracefulness of the design, the best
and most pleasing likeness of his Majesty that has
vet appeared: upon our coins. In lien of the
Royal arms, which afford no scope for the inge-
nuity and talents of the Artist, the subject of the
legendary talc of St. George and the Dragon has
been adopted for the reverse, and is a well-chosen
end pleasing' allegory, suited to the occurrences
of the times. The figures introduced into this
uoble and simple composition are not drawn ac-
' cording to the old manner, with all the stiff he-
raldic emblems and trappings of the fourteenth
century, hut' are pure and classical studies from
the finest- ulnae's of the ancients, in the
muscular anatomy'Of the human form, all the at:
tributes of PoWer, which pourtray the heroic deeds
represen'ed in the sculpture on the hiss-reliefs of
the Elgin marbles, or in .the engraiing of the
fa.med'madalS of the Emperor Trajan.
In the image of. the tutelary Saiat of England,
unstinted on a, spirited horse, and -trampling upon
the. fallen dragon, whose body is pierced by the
spear, which has been broken in the encounter,
while the hero prepares to renew the attack with
the sivord) is displayed an obvious allegorical ev-
resentatia,..ot the genius and valour ail Britain,
triumphing over. the demon ; of anarchy and des-
potism, justly described as our glory and defence
(dens -et- • ttaamea),. This beautiful 'coin will
transmit to posterity a record of the great and
brilliant events which, under Providence, have
led to the restoration of peace and :happiness
throughout the world.
The design and engraving is by Pistrucci, who
has lately been employed at the Mint. In speak-
ing of the original design for the Crown-piece
moi!elled by , Mr. Pistrucci, the late celebrated
nonsieur Visconti of Paris, whose judgment .anti
tassel,' ihe monetaty.art of the ancients are un-
que,tionably of.the.first description, compares it
with the chefs ceuvres of the ancient masters,
describing the excellence and composition of the
style robe unexampled in modern times, and equal
to the most brilliant works of the Greeks and
Romans.
In the art of engraving the steel shies for the
coinage, Mr. Pistrucci has also shetin himself
equally eminent. To give a high relief to the
impression on, both sides of the piece hiss hitherto
been considered as impracticable in the fabrica-
tion of coin, anti it has t herefore, been the custom
to keep the reverse as low as possible), consist-
ing of some- inferior device, in order that all
the effect may he given to the obverse. Btr' in
the present..instance,.the relielbatir:Of the head
and reverse is, so manageri);ttnieithe:nli6inery of
the'Mint has been applied.wiih inecess to produce
tiolif impression on bat h`iides,'!and by that
•
tneaus to, fe,l2der the coin in .yererse, as well
as in the obverse engrasing, uniiortit in .beauty

and effect.
The tabricati,.on of this coinage, by means of
sow e improvements which have been recently in-
troduced info - the machinery of the Mint, has
Bern effected in a very superior manner. The
univet sal practice of sizing the blank pieces to
their proper weight with the file or scraper, was
highly detrimental to the beauty of the coin, by
cau3ing deep abrasions to appear ou the surface.
The new Crown pieces are untonched by the file
or SeraPe'f, and the adjusting process is performed
with a greater degree of accuracy than has hi-
therto been attained, by a very ingenious mecha-
nical instrument, which reduces the bars or fillets
to an uniform thickness, and causes the pieces to
he produced of their given weight without the as-
sistance of any manual operation.
The very 'great difficulty of having the raised
letters upon the edge of coins, which are struck in
the collar, has hitherto prevented the Royal Mint,
as well as the Foreign Mints, applying, the same
to the fabrication of monies intended for general
circodation. The Crowns Of former. Monarchs
have the raised letters, but the pieces being struck
out of the collar, are neither perfect in the circle,
nor unifoint in size wilh each other. To.prodikqe
the raised letter on the edge of the coin; it is ne-
cessary,:in order to free the piece from the collar,
that the latter. should con,ist of various partS,
constituting. what the French call the virole brisee.
Medals anti specimen pieces are frequently. stritelt
in the virule bris.ee, but it was reserved for the Bri-
tish Mint to accomplish the, tack, of fabricating a
whr;le Shotild have the raised. let -
ter on the edge, and at the same time be struck
in 'the Collar'. '