50p Piece Sculpture Located At Trentham Gardens

During a recent visit to Trentham Gardens in Stoke-on-Trent I discovered a fantastic sculpture known as the 50p Piece by Robert Berkoff, which blew my mind. Berkoff’s work of art is located in the magnificent Italian Garden and was unveiled on the 24th February 1976 – it looks hundreds of years old.

The beautiful sculpture was a gift from the Bank of England to Trentham for housing the London Clearing Banks in The Grand Hall, from 1939 to 1945 – which was the time of the Second World War.

This statue represents the rim of a 50p coin with the crests of the clearing banks of the time shown on the visible sides and enveloping Embryo Man. It symbolises the all-embracing concern of the clearing banks for the financial well-being of their customers – courtesy of the bronze plaque next to the sculpture.

The statue has seven sides – as a fifty pence coin – it sits on one side and the other six are visible. Each side is divided diagonally and the banks’ crests stand out against a bubble-type background surface. The figure inside the coin is in a semi-foetal position with the knees tucked up near the chin.

The 50p Piece sculpture is an awesome piece of art and if you are ever visiting Stoke-on-Trent I would definitely recommend visiting Trentham Gardens. For more pictures and a more detailed insight into the 50p Piece work of art visit thepotteries.org.

Sculpture: 50p Piece
By Robert:  Berkoff
Media: Fibre glass with a bronze patina
Unveiled: 24th February 1976
Location: Italian Garden at the Trentham Estate

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