Historical and Commemorative Medals
Collection of Benjamin Weiss

 

MEDALLISTS OF RUSSIAN MEDALS

Gass, Johann Balthasar: Johann Gass was a Russian Medallist and coin engraver from St. Petersburg during the second half of the eighteenth century (ca.1768 to 1793). He began at the St Petersburg Mint as assistant engraver in 1768 and advanced to the post of Chief engraver in 1772. Gass worked principally for Catherine the Great for whom he cut a number of medals commemorating important events of her reign.

Gouin, Solomon: Solomon Gouin was a Dutch medallist who worked at the Mint of St. Petersburg and was Medallist to the Russian Court, under Peter the Great from 1708 to 1713.

Iwanoff, Timothei: Timothei Iwanoff (Ivanov) (1729-1802) was a Russian medallist and mint engraver at St. Petersburg. His greatest period of activity was between 1758 and 1800. He is considered to be one of the foremost medalists Russia has produced. According to Forrer, "This artist, during his long connection with the Mint, acquired a well-earned reputation, and no Russian Medallist is better known, both for the number and for the excellence of his works."

Jaeger, Johann Caspar: Johann Caspar Jaeger was a German-born medallist of the second half of the eighteenth century. He was appointed Court medallist by Czarina Catherine II in 1772.

Judin, Samuel: Samuel (Samoila) Judin (Yudin, Juditsch) was a Russian medallist of the second half of the eighteenth century. He was born in 1730 in St. Petersburg where he entered the School of Engraving. Both Judin and Ivanov were considered to be official Medallists.  Durand (in Forrer) states that Judin’s medal on the Battle of Poltava has placed him in the front rank of medallists.

Klepikow, A.: A. Klepikow (Klepikov) was a Russian medallist who worked at St. Petersburg during the first half of the nineteenth century. He is the author of some rare medals issued to commemorate the wars against France during the period from1812 to 1814.

Koenig, Ottfried: Offried Koenig, although of German descent, executed medals primarily of Russian subjects, and was medallist at Moscow from 1718 to 1724.

Kuchkin, Michael: Michael (Mikhail) Kuchkin (Kutschkin) (1845-1872) was a medallist who worked in St Petersburg. He apprenticed at the Technical School of the Mining and Technological Institute of St Petersburg. In 1845, he was appointed Medallist to the St Petersburg Mint. He often made copies of earlier Russian medals.

Leberecht, Carl: Carl Leberecht (1749-1827) was born in Meiningen, Germany, and was appointed Engraver to the Russian Mint in 1775. He later was appointed Chief Medallist to the Court. Bolzenthal states that "Few artists of his kind have been so distinguished as Leberecht..." (Forrer).

Roeg, Michael (also Martin Reug or Ruck):  Michael Roeg (1685-1736), a medallist during the first half of the eighteenth century, was born in Denmark and worked in Copenhagen until 1715 when he went to France in the services of Louis XIV. In Paris, Roeg was employed almost exclusively to recut dies of the Louis XIV series, which had become damaged by use, and to do the work which the Engraver-general or the chief medallists at the Mint would not undertake themselves. Upon Louis' death, Roeg found himself in difficult financial straights and was about to accept an offer from the King of Portugal to go to Lisbon, when the Regent, Duke Philip of Orleans, attached him to his service and granted him a pension.

Waechter, Georg Christian: Georg Christian Waechter (1724-1789) was born at Heidelberg, the younger brother of Johann Georg Waechter. Waechter learned the art of medal engraving under Jean Dassier. He worked in Germany, being appointed in 1770 Court-medallist at Mannheim. He later lived in St. Petersberg. Throughout his career he made a number of commemorative medals of the reign of Catherine II.

Waechter, Johann Georg: Elder brother of Georg Christian Waechter, Johann Waechter was born in Heidelberg in 1724. He was a distinguished medallist working principally in Russia. He died in St. Petersburg in 1797.

Werner, Peter Paul: Peter Paul Werner (1689-1771) was born in Nuremberg. He became a mint engraver and medallist working primarily in Germany for several German courts.

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