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JOHN PINCHES MEDALLISTS, LTD.Dick Johnson writes: "For most of its 19th century existence, John Pinches Medallists (founded 1840), was under the shadow of the Wyon family of English engravers. While Wyons were engravers (and chief engravers) at the Royal Mint, family members ran a medal business outside the Mint. Pinches was founded by John Pinches (1825-1905), who had learned steel engraving from his mother's cousin, medallist William Joseph Taylor (beginning when John was 15 years old in 1840, and that's the year the firm determined as its founding). Four Pinches were associated with the firm after the first John Pinches: John Harvey Pinches (1852-1941), his son; then John Robert Pinches (1884-1968), a grandson. A second John Harvey Pinches and a cousin, Leslie Pinches, headed the firm after World War II, and it is this John Harvey Pinches who wrote the book: Medals by John Pinches; A Catalog of Works Struck by the Company from 1840 to 1969. Published 1987. Infrequently Pinches struck medals engraved by a Wyon, but in 1932 Pinches acquired the J.S. & A.B. Wyon firm and all its dies. But its most historical moment came in 1969, when it sold out to the Franklin Mint, of Media, Pennsylvania, as part of a European expansion. Franklin Mint had Pinches reduce the famed Waterloo Medal -- still in its archives -- which had only been issued before in galvano form, and prepare dies to strike this in 1972. Franklin Mint sold 5,000 of these medals worldwide. The book records the notable productions of Pinches for the 129-year history of the firm. Interestingly, the author records the height of the relief of most items -- as coin, shallow, bold, high or very high -- in addition to usual data as size, composition and such. Of greatest interest to collectors, however, are the Commemorative Medals in the next to last chapter. (These are not detailed, and we yearn for more data about these.) The last chapter recounts a handful of coins struck by Pinches, including the famed Puffin coins of Lundy Island. I have observed PINCHES name on medals of their manufacture, but have never observed a Pinches mint mark. Perhaps an E-Sylum reader can enlighten me if such exists."Wayne Homren, Editor The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org. To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor at this address: whomren@gmail.com To subscribe go to: https://my.binhost.com/lists/listinfo/esylum All Rights Reserved. NBS Home Page Contact the NBS webmaster 
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