Harry Eccleston was an artist and bank-note designer who worked for the Bank of England for 25 years and was responsible for the pictorial "D" series of banknotes, issued in 1970. Each denomination featured an historical figure, the £5 note bearing the portrait of the Duke of Wellington after the celebrated painting by Sir Thomas Lawrence. Among the many meticulous preparatory drawings he made were the portrait of the Queen (entailing several royal sittings in Buckingham Palace) and details of weapons and military uniform for the Peninsular War scene on the reverse of the note.
Describing the experience in a letter he praised the skill of his engraver colleague, David Wicks, writing "...how different security engraving is from normal engraving, particularly in the control of line spacing. To see your drawing turned into this was unbelievable." It is typical of Eccleston's generous modesty that whenever he mentioned his work at the Bank he never failed to express his admiration for the skill of the craftsmen who translated his designs into the complex filigree of engraved line. From 1967 onwards he became the first person to hold the post of bank-note designer full-time, and in 1979 he was awarded an OBE in recognition of his services.
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