Hints For Beginner Medal Collectors.

HINTS FOR BEGINNER MEDAL COLLECTORS.

This is a re-posting as my original was deleted (I had inadvertently included web sites). I am a newbie collector and am compiling a modest collection of Art Medals with bicycles or cycling as a theme. Mainly Art Nouveau to Art Deco in the 1880-1940 time-frame. Most are French. In corresponding with some dealers/collectors, I was able to distil some of their helpful replies to a few key bullets that might be of interest to others. Please let me know if you have other comments to add.

PRODUCTION METHODS

There are two primary methods by which medals are made:

Strikes. This is the technique that is most widely used to make medals and coins. Struck medals are formed mechanically by the force of two engraved metal dies pressing the image onto a blank disc of softer metal positioned between. Struck medals can be mass-produced more easily than cast medals.

Casting. Casting is generally considered to be the technique that has produced the finest in medallic art. A medal is cast by pouring molten metal into a mold and letting it solidify. The process begins with an artist's sketch from which models are developed. The models may be made from plaster, clay, wax etc. Casting of a medal is often accomplished by a specialist foundry. Preferred metals are gold, silver or, more commonly, a copper alloy such as bronze.

OBVERSE/REVERSE

The obverse and reverse sides sometimes have different artists. Good medallists were sometimes employed to make quality designs that were used for many medals which meant that overall costs were reduced and quality raised.

FORGERIES

In this particular market, unless a medal is fairly expensive, forgeries are relatively unusual. Rarely, there might be cast "forgeries" of particularly high-worth items.

RE-STRIKES

A re-strike is a medal that has been struck from the original dies at a later date. They are common in medals and are really not a problem. If the item is nice and sharp with crisp detail and free of edge nicks, a restrike is just as desirable as an original. It is from the same die and dies last a long time.

For example, the Paris Mint commanded a medal to a medallist and purchased the right to strike the medal for eternity. They retained dies of medals dating back many years and sometimes produce restrikes to order.

LARGE INITIAL INVENTORY

A mint might produce thousands of a particular medal at one time while the engraver was still alive on "speculation" and thus have a large inventory that can sit and wait until a buyer comes up needing medals. It is therefore possible that a medal that was engraved by someone in the late 19th century yet was awarded in 1950.

CLEANING

Older strikes tend to have an age patina (through oxidation of the bronze), which applies to both bronze and silver medals, if they had not been cleaned. These are better left uncleaned; it may take years before an even patina comes up again. If cleaning is absolutely necessary, use only warm water and very mild soap to remove old grime.

REFERENCES

The web sites below have many useful references but the "bible" is "Biographical dictionary of medallists; coin, gem, and seal-engravers, mint-masters, &c., ancient and modern" by L. Forrer

WEBSITES/EMAILS

I have a pretty neat compilation of helpful websites. Some of the dealers and other collectors have wonderful advice on their sites. However, I regret I am not allowed to share them on this forum.