George William de Saulles

George William de Saulles (1862 – 1903) was a British medallist. He authored and designed the obverse of coins from the United Kingdom and its colonies under Queen Victoria and Edward VII of the United Kingdom

He was born on 4 February 1862 at Villa Street, Aston Manor, Birmingham. His grandfather Samuel was from Switzerland and had been a Page in the household of George IV and William IV; his father, William Henry de Saulles, was a Birmingham glass merchant. At an early age he began his art training at the Birmingham School of Art, under the master, Mr. Taylor. He was apprenticed to Mr. Wilcox, die-sinker, in Birmingham, under whom he had a varied practice, which included the execution of large labels for Manchester goods.

De Saulles came to London in 1884, and worked for John H. Pinches, the die-engraver, then in Oxenden Street, Haymarket. In 1888 he returned to Birmingham and worked for Joseph Moore, the medallist. During 1892 De Saulles was in London at the Royal Mint, on the death of Leonard Charles Wyon the chief engraver. In January 1893 he was gazetted "engraver to the mint", and from that time to his death produced dies for British and colonial coins and for official medals.

Engaged in the preparation of the new seal of Edward VII, De Saulles died at Chiswick, after a few days' illness, on 21 July 1903. He was buried in Chiswick churchyard. He was married, but had no children.

De Saulles as craftsman worked rapidly, and he designed, modelled and engraved most of his dies. He was somewhat influenced by the French school of Louis-Oscar Roty and Jules-Clément Chaplain, but for his official work there was little innovation. His medallic work between 1894 and 1903 comprised at least thirty medals and three plaques, and the medals included:

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