RA Collection: People and Organisations
The medallist Thomas Pingo was born into a family of clockmakers, engravers and medallists in London in 1714. He served an apprenticeship to his father in the Merchant Taylors’ Company before achieving distinction as a medallist. He moved from engraving soft metals to cutting steel dies for actually striking medals, and is believed to have been the first medallist in Britain to establish a manufactory for this purpose.
Pingo struck more than 25 medals between 1742 and the mid-1770s, including prize medals for the Royal Academy (1770), the Society of Arts (1758) and the Board of Admiralty (1742), as well as portrait medals. His will, prepared in 1772, left much of his estate to his wife Mary, but his medal-making tools and equipment were left to his sons Thomas and Lewis, clearly in the hope that they would continue in the same trade. Pingo died in London in 1776.
Born: 24 September 1714
Died: 1 December 1776
Gender: Male