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How are casting and striking different methods of making medals?
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medal
Pierre and Marie Curie depicted on the obverse of a medal from the Unio Internationalis Contra Cancrum (International Union Against Cancer) commemorating the Curies' discovery of radium in 1898.
Casting and striking are distinct techniques used to produce medals.
- Casting: This method involves creating a model from materials such as wax, wood, or stone. The metal is then poured into a mold derived from this model to form the final piece.1
- Striking: In this process, a design is engraved in intaglio into a die. The design is then impressed onto the metal blank through the application of pressure.1
While casting relies on molding a liquid or malleable material, striking utilizes mechanical force to imprint a design onto a solid metal surface.1