The Royal Mint’s Great Engravers Collection continues with its second coin honouring Benedetto Pistrucci’s designs for the Waterloo Medal.

Taking 30 years to produce, the dies for the Waterloo Medal are spectacular works of numismatic art, both depicting a rich, allegorical tapestry of the battle itself. Although the medal was never physically struck, the tools for the medal were preserved and are currently held in The Royal Mint Museum. Using modern techniques, The Royal Mint has reproduced the reverse design Pistrucci created for the Waterloo Medal for this 2025-dated coin.

For the design itself, Pistrucci took inspiration from the gigantomachy, an event from Greek mythology where the giants waged war against the Olympian gods, vying for control of the cosmos. Pistrucci’s design depicts 19 giants, who represent the 19-year conflict, tumbling over one another as they are struck by Zeus’ thunder. Portrayed in the classical style, two equestrian figures that resemble the leaders Wellington and Blücher feature in the centre of a design in which they are guided by the figure of a flying Victory.