Robert Johnson (civil servant)

Colonel Sir Robert Arthur Johnson

In 1922, he was appointed the post of Deputy Master of the Royal Mint. During his tenure, the Mint's export business improved considerably with Johnson's enthusiasm to fulfil orders from overseas creating a flourishing foreign coin production market which remains strong to this day. He also worked as a travelling salesman for the Mint for several years. On 17 June 1922, Johnson formally submitted a proposal to the King that a standing committee should be appointed to advise the Master of the Mint on all matters connected with the designing of coins and medals. Artists including Percy Metcalfe, Humphrey Paget and Langford Jones were encouraged by Johnson to visit the Mint to meet up with both officers and workmen in order to acquaint themselves with the processes with which their designs were transferred to metal.

In a 1930 Royal Mint report Johnson was noted as being 'greatly impressed' with the pattern design of a proposed new obverse effigy of George V by medallist André Lavrillier designed to eliminate the 'ghosting' on pennies which had been a problem a few years earlier. The report highlights Johnson's admiration of Lavrillier’s artistic skill and his understanding of the technicalities in the process of die making, an understanding that was often lacking in his English counterparts. Lavrillier produced just four pattern 1933 pennies which were eventually rejected in favour of the original small head design on 1928 to 1932 bronze pennies. In 2016, a Lavrillier pattern penny sold at Baldwin's Auction House in London for £72,000. Only seven 'currency' 1933 pennies were struck, being placed under the foundations of various buildings, with penny production resuming in 1934.

In 1935, the Royal Mint produced a version of the George V 'rocking horse' crown coin dated 1935, with a stylised version of St George and the Dragon by Percy Metcalfe, struck in .916 gold. Only 28 were made and 25 issued. The Royal Mint received 1,329 applications for the coin. The 25 successful recipients received an accompanying letter from the Royal Mint enclosed with the gold crown dated 15 May 1935, informing the recipients of their success in the public ballot in obtaining a gold version of the Silver Jubilee Crown. Each of the 25 letters was hand signed by Johnson with his title, "Deputy Master and Controller of the Mint".

Johnson was appointed

Personal life and death

In 1903, he married Kathleen Eyre Greenwell, daughter of Sir Walpole Greenwell, Bt, with whom he had two daughters.^[2]

Johnson died in 1938, aged 63.

Footnotes