Thomas Halliday (engraver)

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Thomas Halliday (c.1780 – c.1854)[1][2] was an English coin and medal engraver associated with the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists.[3]

Halliday worked as an engraver at the Soho Mint in Handsworth, West Midlands.[4] Following this, he set up his own business moving to numerous locations throughout Birmingham before settling at Newhall Street until his death.[5] He had many apprentices including Peter Wyon, a member of a large family of engravers.[6]

Engraver of Canadian colonial tokens[edit]

1812 Nova Scotia token. On the obverse the letter "H" is the sign of Thomas Halliday

Halliday is known to have engraved dies for a number of copper tokens that were used in pre-Confederation Canada. These include the Bust and Commerce series, the Pure Copper Preferable to Paper series, and the “R.H. tokens” among others.[7]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Forrer, L. (1904). "Halliday, Thomas". Biographical Dictionary of Medallists. Vol. II. London: Spink & Son Ltd. pp. 388–390.
  2. ^ Forrer, L. (1923). "Halliday, Thomas". Biographical Dictionary of Medallists. Vol. VII. London: Spink & Son Ltd. p. 412.
  3. ^ Flynn, Brendan (2014). RBSA: A Place for Art: The story of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists. Liverpool: Callprint. p. 52.
  4. ^ "Biography for Thomas Halliday". Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery. Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  5. ^ "Thomas Halliday (Biographical details)". British Museum. British Museum. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  6. ^ Weiss, Benjamin. "English Medallists". Historical and Commemorative Medals Collection of Benjamin Weiss. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  7. ^ Grawey, Tim (26 December 2017). "Halliday's work, influence seen throughout Canadian coinage". Canadian Coin News. Trajan Publishing. p. 8.