What is a medal? A significant object

"Give them a medal! They deserve it."

Medals aren't just for athletes and soldiers, but can be given for all sorts of reasons, as a reward, a keepsake or symbol of a special relationship. They have many forms and uses, from promotional advertising to the very personal gift.

A reward

For centuries, large coins have been made for special presentations, usually in gold, with the portrait of the giver on one side, and a design on the other side which confirmed that person's best qualities or achievements. Such a precious token of esteem enhanced the prestige of the giver as well as rewarding the recipient. This practice dates back to the Romans and was revived in Renaissance Italy in the fifteenth century. From the nineteenth century medals in precious and base metals were given regularly as prizes at exhibitions, in schools, for hobbies, for charity work as well as by royalty and institutions. This practice is being revived with new designers bringing the idea right up to date.

A memento

It was during the Renaissance that the other usual purpose of the medal, to commemorate an event, was adopted and refined. Uniquely contemporary it can be a significant memento, a permanent reminder or commemorative targeted at a special group. Traditional yet innovative, in business the medal can promote the giver in a way no other gift can through its combination of art, permanence and beauty. But on a personal level, for an anniversary or a birth, it can express ideas and convey emotions through symbols that only a close few will truly understand.

A work of art

History shows that the best medal designs are true art - sculpture in miniature that endure through time. Today there are a few specialist artists who have the skill to design and model such a work of art. They may also be skilled jewelers or monumental sculptors, or simply devote themselves wholly to the art of modeling and carving in low-relief for coin and medal design.

How do I start?

Howard and Frances Simmons of the Simmons Gallery have a unique position - as coin and medal dealers they have a vital historical perspective, but their links with contemporary artists enable them to advise objectively on the somewhat difficult process of commissioning.

The basics

A discussion with the Simmons Gallery will first help to crystallize your ideas for the project, your intentions and the subject matter. Next we can establish the method of manufacture and the choice of artist engraver. This depends on your budget, on the metal or material chosen, the number required as well as the shape, size and depth of the design carved. There are generally three stages to making a medal; initial drawings, delivery of the master design or model, and then the manufacturing process itself.

Design

Medals use the visual effect of modeling in relief and are more than two dimensional. The transfer of a graphic design or line drawing into a relief model, a sculpture, requires special skill and judgement. Logos and other graphic designs do not always lend themselves to good medals - scale often changes the view in unexpected ways! But with expert advice design solutions are found and the finished model is agreed upon before finally making the medals themselves. There are two main options for producing medals. You need to consider these right at the beginning of the design process, for economic and artistic reasons:

CASTING - pouring molten metal into a mould prepared by the medallist. This 'lost wax' method is best option for small numbers of medals, or those that are large size, high relief or of an unusual shape. It produces a greater variation in texture, even from one medal of the same design to the next. Although the price of the mould for casting medals is modest, by comparison the cost of casting and finishing the individual medals can be considerable. For large runs, it would be better to consider

STRIKING with dies - a mechanical process, using dies that have been engraved with the medallist's design. The original artist's design in plaster is transferred on to a steel die by a special reducing machine. This is finished and polished by the die engraver before the dies are hardened. Then metal coin-like blanks are placed between the dies and struck. This is best option for large numbers (100+) of smaller sized medals, or when a medal is to be used over a long period, or when a coin-like result with a similar finish for all is required. The initial expense is in the making of the dies but the subsequent striking is very moderately priced.

Most recently artists have been experimenting with materials other than bronze, silver and gold, and with other methods. Ceramic, glass and plastic medals have all been created and as much thought is given to the packaging as to the object inside.

 

 

 

 

Hollandia medal by Ron Dutton, 38mm, struck from blanks cast from salvaged shipwrecked silver, commissioned by Simmons Gallery

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kielder medal by Nicola Moss, struck bronze, 36mm (received by the first 1000 walkers who completed the bronze rubbings of the bas-reliefs sited on the Kielder Water sculpture trail. A silver version is also available.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Great North Race by Nicola Moss, a series of trophies awarded to the winners of the marathon, male and female, both runners and wheelchair competitiors.