I believe this is your minter:
TAYLOR, WILLIAM JOSEPH (Brit.). Medallist, Die-sinker and
Engraver, born in Birmingham in 1802; apprenticed to Thomas
Halliday in 1818 (a copy of this Indenture is in the possession of
D r Stanley Bousfield, and says that from November I st 1820 during
the remainder of apprenticeship, Taylor is to receive eight
shillings a week). Taylor was the first die-sinker to be trained
under Halliday.
Taylor came to London in 1829 and set up business as a Die-
sinker, Medallist and Engraver, first at 5 Porter Street, Soho, then
he removed to 3 Litchfield Street, and in 1843 to 33 Little Queen
Street. Finally, in 1868, he went to 70 Red Lion Street, where he
died in March 1885.
In November 1852, Taylor sent out a coining press and complete
plant to Melbourne.
Dies for Port Philip Gold pieces of 1853 and Victorian Shilling
and Sixpence of the same time were probably made by Taylor and
sent out (as D r Bousfield owns two puncheons for these pieces
from among Taylor's dies).
Taylor's plan to mint gold into pieces stamped and of convenient
weight fell through because by the time his mint was ready the
banks were buying gold at its full value. The press was bought by
Mr. Thomas Stokes in 1857.
After W. J. Taylor's death the business was carried on by his
sons Theophilus and Herbert. In 1892 Theophilus left the business,
and in 1908 the presses, tools and machinery were sold off.
Among the best known of medals by Taylor are : Medal of St.
Saviour's School, Southwark, founded 1562, rebuilt 1839;
Shakespeare Medal for Commemoration of 1842 (designed by
H. H. Young); Handel Centenary Commemoration at the
Crystal Palace in 1859; Taylor Combe Memorial Medal,
1826 (after Pistrucci); Charles Green, aeronaut, 1836; -
Medal of the Worshipful Company of Joiners, London ;
Completion of the Thames Tunnel, 1842 (sev. var.); Medal
of the Royal Humane Society (in the style of Pingo's earlier
medal); Coronation medal of Dom Pedro II. of Brazil, 1841;
- Medal of the British Archaeological Association, 1850; -
Restrike of the St. Bartholomew Massacre medal ; Patterns for
coinage of French Pretender Henri V., 1831-33 (including 5, 2 and
i Francs, and 50 Centimes); - - Prize medal of the Society of
Agriculture and Horticulture (with bust of Queen Victoria;
modelled by G. Glenny); Peace of Paris 1814, with busts of
Alexander I. of Russia, Frederick William III. of Prussia, the Duke
of Wellington, and iMarshal Blucher (signed : W.T.F.); Free
Trade medal (by Taylor and Allen) ; The Duke of Sussex (after
Weigand) ; General Gordon ; Golf Club medal ; Prize medal
for Literature; - - D r Chalmers, commemorating the First Assem-
bly of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, 1843; Prize
medal of the city of Perth for first student in the senior mathemat-
ical and physical class; - Sir James Duke, Montrose Academy
Prize medal; James William Gilbart, F.R.S. ; Foundation of
the London and Westminster Bank commemorated, 1834;
Halfpenny Tokens of Matthew Young, undated ; Benjamin
Nightingale 1843, 1845; ' ' Penny and Halfpenny Tokens of
\Villiam Till. 1834 and 1839; Pattern Gourde of Henri I. of
Haiti, 1820, 6vc.
Taylor also sent out the copper coinages for the Republic of
Liberia in 1847 and 1862, and was responsible for a number of the
Australian Tokens. The firm took a prominent part in the ' restriking '
of coins and medals late in the last century, possibly at the instigation
of others.
