
This medal was issued by the Numismatic Society of Vienna in 1880. It features Joseph Hilarius Eckhel, sometimes called the Father of Ancient Numismatics for being one of the first to publish research on the matter.
And wouldn't you know it, the medal says AES PRAEBVERVNT NVMMI ANTIQVI CONFLATI i.e. these medals were made with melted-down Roman bronze coins.

Tenino's covid money doesn't really need an introduction or explanation. I called their City Hall, they told me they were made of sitka spruce, much like many of their originals.

May as well add in another lava medal. This one shows Luigi Palmieri, director of the Vesuvius Observatory during the late 1800s.