The design of the Institute's Mycenean lions medal and the motto ‘Usui civium, decori urbium' has been attributed to Thomas Leverton Donaldson, who had been honorary secretary until 1839. The RIBA Guide to its Archive and History (Angela Mace,1986) records that the first official version of this badge was used as a bookplate for the Institute's library and publications from 1835 to 1891, when it was redesigned by J.H.Metcalfe. It was again redesigned in 1931 by Eric Gill and in 1960 by Joan Hassall. The description in the 1837 by-laws was: "gules, two lions rampant guardant or, supporting a column marked with lines chevron, proper, all standing on a base of the same; a garter surrounding the whole with the inscription Institute of British Architects, anno salutis MDCCCXXXIV; above a mural crown proper, and beneath the motto Usui civium decori urbium ".
If it is possible to answer this question, answer it for me (else, reply "unanswerable"): Who is responsible for the use of 'usui civium decori urbium'?
Thomas Leverton Donaldson