Willem Vis, Coin Designer

[eurocoin]

Willem J. Vis is one of the most important dutch coin designers. He was born in 1936. He lived during his entire career in Hazerswoude, The Netherlands. He trained at the Royal Academy of Art and Vrije Academie in The Hague.  In 1957 he started to work for a metal company that inter alia produced medals. He left the company he was working for in 1971 and started to work on his own, from than on he has designed lots of coins for many different countries. In 1992 he was elected and admitted as a fellow of the British Society of Numismatic Artists and Designers (SNAD). He passed away in 2007.

The designer mark that he used was a capital letter W within a fish, this referring to his last name that means fish in dutch, this designer mark can be found on almost all the coins and medals that he designed.

[eurocoin]

This 2 pounds coin from Guernsey was issued in 1994, it commemorates the 50th anniversary of D-Day.

[eurocoin]

The same design as above is included in a series of gold coins from Guernsey that was issued to commemorate the 50th anniversary of D-Day in 1994, all magnificent designs are made by Mr. Vis.

10 Pounds



25 Pounds



50 Pounds



100 Pounds



Obverse of the coins (Not designed by Mr. Vis)

[eurocoin]

Belgium, 250 francs, 1999. 40th Wedding Anniversary of King Albert and Queen Paola.

[eurocoin]

Cook Islands, 50 Dollars, 2003. 50th Anniversary of Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship International. Same design also used on a silver 1 dollar coin.

[eurocoin]

Belgium, 100 euro, 2002. 50th Anniversary of the European Coal and Steel Community.

[<k>]

St Helena, 50 pence, 1998.  World Wildlife Fund.

You can see the fish mark at top right. Look at that whale blowing bubbles at top left.

[<k>]

St Helena, 50 pence, 1998.

The Saint Helena plover (Charadrius sanctaehelenae), locally known as the wirebird, due to its thin legs,

[<k>]

Guernsey, 2 pounds, 1998.  Brimstone butterfly.

[eurocoin]

Guernsey, 2 pounds, 1997.  Emperor Moth.

[eurocoin]

10 Lekë Albania 1992, the theme of the coin is "1992 Olympic Games". Willem Vis designed both sides of the coin. There is an error on the minted coins as there is written "Mai" in german on the coat of arms instead of "Maj" in Albanian. It is the only coin that Mr. Vis ever designed for Albania.

[eurocoin]

100 kwacha Zambia 1992 "25th Olympic games in Barcelona", again he depicts boxers to commemorate the same olympic games, he did that too for Albania in the same year.

[eurocoin]

2 pounds Alderney 1995, "50th anniversary of the liberation of the Channel Islands" issued in silver, gold and cupro-nickel

[eurocoin]

Alderney, 1 pound 1995 "50th Anniversary of VE day" issued in both silver and gold

[eurocoin]

Ascension Island, 50 Pence 1996  "70th Birthday of Queen Elizabeth II"