Do you collect any modern medals?

291fifth

I define modern medals as 1959 to the present. I feel that the Heraldic Art series, which began in 1959, signaled a major change in medal issuing and marks the beginning of the modern medal era.

I collect modern numismatic publisher medals as well as single medals that strike me as interesting. Yesterday I was at my local dealer and picked up the Franklin Mint NCS Joseph M. Segal silver medal. The Segal medal was the 150th and final medal in the National Commemorative Society series. I had been looking for one for many years. It cost me $10. Segal was the founder of the National Commemorative Society and the Franklin Mint. He also founded QVC, among other companies.

So far as modern numismatic publisher medals go, Coin World issued its first in 1961 for the Civil War Centennial. It is relatively common. Numismatic News/Krause issued their first medal in 1964. It commemorated the 1964 Numismatic News European Tour and was struck by the Paris mint. The 1964 NN Tour medal is rare, with a mintage of probably no more than 20. Whitman Publishing issued its first medal, a silver round, in conjunction with the 1986 Red Book.

There are more than 250 modern numismatic publisher medals. At the present time no numismatic publisher is issuing medals.

Does anyone else collect modern medals?

Cnitas

I collect modern military medal...see my sig line.

Dabigkahuna

I have a set of the American President Medals that the mint sells. Is there something more modern than that? I also have a set of the proof silver NWRS Medals that are pretty sharp looking.



Larry
Dabigkahuna

edited for fat fingers:

BillJones

About the only modern medals that I keep up with are the small sized presidential metals that the mint marketed as "youth sets" years ago. They are actually miniture versions of the Indian Peace medals for 19th century presidents, and the later pieces have their design origins in the inauguration medals. The first ones I purchased when I bought a then complete set cost 50 cents each. Today I think the mint charges a couple dollars for them. New peices are issued each time a new president takes the Oath of Office.

I do collect some older medals that date back to the late 1790s to the end of the 1800s, but that's the extent of my modern medal collecting.

cladking

I collect most all tokens and medals including the numismatic publisher medals.

Mintages of medals still varies widely from a small handfull to hundreds of thousands
but interest in modern issues tends to be very much less so they are not only less ex-
pensive but more widely available.

Many of my fovorites are medals issued by business to mark special occasions and an-
niversaries. These can have very limited distribution and can be issued by entities larger
than many countries.

The Franklin Mint National Commemmorative Society medals was a series begun in 1964.
The bulk of these (like most FM products) were made in sterling silver. There was a very
small handfull made in platinum. (mintage 3). The sterling issues weigh 22 pennyweight
if memory serves.