Philip Attwood graduated in Ancient history and Archaeology from the University of Birmingham in 1975.
In 2010, he was appointed chief curator of this department, succeeding Joe Cribb.
During his tenure, notable acquisitions included a gold medal by British sculptor Alfred Gilbert (1854–1934) and a significant donation by his departmental colleague Marion Archibald, which was realized following her death in 2016.
[2] Since 2012, he has served as the president of the International Art Medal Federation (FIDEM) and was also named an honorary member of the Royal Numismatic Society of Belgium.
[2] Attwood retired on 1 May 2020, after 41 years of service at the Department of Coins and Medals of the British Museum.