How are commemorative medals designed and made?
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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.
Commemorative medals are crafted using several distinct techniques, often involving materials such as gold, silver, bronze, or lead.1
The primary production methods include:
- Casting: Medals are cast from models originally created in wax, wood, or stone.1
- Striking: Designs are impressed into metal using a die engraved in intaglio. To create these, a positive punch or hub is cut in hard metal and stamped into softer metal, which is then hardened to form the final die.1
- Repoussé: Two interlocking molds containing a blank are brought together under pressure to form the design.1
- Mechanical Cutting: Introduced in the 19th century, this process uses machine cutters to mechanically copy an enlarged electrotype of the original design.1
While many mints focus on currency, they frequently perform additional functions, including the manufacturing of medals and seals.2