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HINTS FOR BEGINNER MEDAL COLLECTORS.
Rombalds
Posts: 13
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
This is my current compilation of helpful websites. Some of the dealers and other collectors have wonderful advice on their sites.
Category Source Web page
Collection Benjamin Weiss www.historicalartmedals.com/default.htm
Collection Jean-François Gruez http://pagesperso-orange.fr/zeurg/medailles_collection.htm
Collection Jean-François Gruez (Dunlop medal) http://pagesperso-orange.fr/zeurg/med.htm?md_0789a.jpgbaudichon
Collector/
enthusiast Art Nouveau and Art Deco medals www.finemedals.com/artists.htm
Collector/
enthusiast Galerie-d-art www.galerie-d-art.info
Collector/
enthusiast Iinternational Website of Art Medals www.artmedal.net/
Collector/
enthusiast Medals4Trade www.medals4trade.com/
Collector/
enthusiast Medals4Trade www.medals4trade.com/collections/
Collector/
enthusiast Medals4Trade – Blin cycling medal www.medals4trade.com/collections/displayimage.php?album=165&pos=13
Collector/
enthusiast Art Medal Site www.artmedal.be/
Dealer P&D Medallions www.pdmedallions.co.uk/index.htm
Dealer Professional coin grading service www.pcgs.com/
Dealer AAA Historical Americana - World Exonumia www.exonumia.com/art.htm
Dealer Charles Riley Coins & Medals http://www.charlesriley.co.uk/index.htm
Dealer Simmons Gallery http://simmonsgallery.co.uk/
Dealer Timothy Millett www.historicmedals.com/
Dealer (eBay) Art medals http://stores.ebay.com/ART-MEDALS
Dealer (eBay) Fine medals (Nicolas Maier) www.finemedals.com/
Dealer (eBay) Linas Liubinskas (eBay seller) http://myworld.ebay.com/linasl/
Forum Coin Community www.coincommunity.com/forum/
Forum Coin People http://coinpeople.com/
Forum Collectors Universe http://forums.collectors.com
Mint Arthus-Bertrand (French jeweler) www.arthus-bertrand.com/home.php
Museum British Museum Department of Coins and Medals www.britishmuseum.org/the_museum/departments/coins_and_medals.aspx
Museum Victoria and Albert Museum (Art Nouveau and Art Deco medals) www.vam.ac.uk/collections/sculpture/bayes/modelling/nouveau_deco/index.html
Reference Forrer: Biographical Dictionary of Medallists www.digitalbookindex.com/_search/refsearchbiodict.asp
Reference AAA Historical Americana – mint marks www.exonumia.com/art/art_04.htm
Society American Numismatic Society www.numismatics.org/
Society Medal Collectors of America www.medalcollectors.org/
Society Medallic Art Society of Canada www.nunetcan.net/masc/masc.htm
Society Token and Medal Society www.tokenandmedal.org/index.htm
Rombalds
0
Comments
One of our forum members, Vern ("elverno" here, but not seen for a while), owns the napoleonicmedals.org website.
You'll find a few kindred spirits here, though of course most of us are coin folk.
I number myself among the coin folk, but will confess that a handsome medal or two has turned my head occasionally.
<< <i>One of our forum members, Vern ("elverno" here, but not seen for a while), owns the napoleonicmedals.org website. >>
and don't forget another of our own, "cacheman" owns the karlgoetz.com website.
I'm afraid to be alive without being aware of it
FOR SALE Items
<< <i>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
This is my current compilation of helpful websites. Some of the dealers and other collectors have wonderful advice on their sites.
Category Source Web page
Collection Benjamin Weiss www.historicalartmedals.com/default.htm
Collection Jean-François Gruez http://pagesperso-orange.fr/zeurg/medailles_collection.htm
Collection Jean-François Gruez (Dunlop medal) http://pagesperso-orange.fr/zeurg/med.htm?md_0789a.jpgbaudichon
Collector/
enthusiast Art Nouveau and Art Deco medals www.finemedals.com/artists.htm
Collector/
enthusiast Galerie-d-art www.galerie-d-art.info
Collector/
enthusiast Iinternational Website of Art Medals www.artmedal.net/
Collector/
enthusiast Medals4Trade www.medals4trade.com/
Collector/
enthusiast Medals4Trade www.medals4trade.com/collections/
Collector/
enthusiast Medals4Trade – Blin cycling medal www.medals4trade.com/collections/displayimage.php?album=165&pos=13
Collector/
enthusiast Art Medal Site www.artmedal.be/
Dealer P&D Medallions www.pdmedallions.co.uk/index.htm
Dealer Professional coin grading service www.pcgs.com/
Dealer AAA Historical Americana - World Exonumia www.exonumia.com/art.htm
Dealer Charles Riley Coins & Medals http://www.charlesriley.co.uk/index.htm
Dealer Simmons Gallery http://simmonsgallery.co.uk/
Dealer Timothy Millett www.historicmedals.com/
Dealer (eBay) Art medals http://stores.ebay.com/ART-MEDALS
Dealer (eBay) Fine medals (Nicolas Maier) www.finemedals.com/
Forum Coin Community www.coincommunity.com/forum/
Forum Coin People http://coinpeople.com/
Forum Collectors Universe http://forums.collectors.com
Mint Arthus-Bertrand (French jeweler) www.arthus-bertrand.com/home.php
Museum British Museum Department of Coins and Medals www.britishmuseum.org/the_museum/departments/coins_and_medals.aspx
Museum Victoria and Albert Museum (Art Nouveau and Art Deco medals) www.vam.ac.uk/collections/sculpture/bayes/modelling/nouveau_deco/index.html
Reference Forrer: Biographical Dictionary of Medallists www.digitalbookindex.com/_search/refsearchbiodict.asp
Reference AAA Historical Americana – mint marks www.exonumia.com/art/art_04.htm
Society American Numismatic Society www.numismatics.org/
Society Medal Collectors of America www.medalcollectors.org/
Society Medallic Art Society of Canada www.nunetcan.net/masc/masc.htm
Society Token and Medal Society www.tokenandmedal.org/index.htm >>
- Marcus Tullius Cicero, 106-43 BC