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What does "Composition or Lava" mean for these high relief medals
Zoins
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I recently ran across these Grant & Colfax medals described as "Composition or Lava High Relief Medals". What does this mean?
They are 32mm and catalogued as USG-1868-18A.
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I'm not certain what the exact composition is but these are close to what a current casino poker chip is made from. However they are extremely fragile and brittle more so then vulcanite or gutta percha. I own two of the Grants in white metal however stay away from the composition pieces as the are a risk to own both raw slabbed. NGC has slabbed some and although not damaged upon doing so once they have bounced around traveling from shows I've seen some cracked at the prong points. These along with white metal need full support not 4 pressure points from prongs. NGC now has full silicone round gasket that can be had at request for exonumia.
Here's the full supportive silicone slab insert they have available for the last year instead of damaging prongs for softer metals and composition materials.
Good to know about the damage that prongs can cause. Does PCGS also provide full supportive gaskets now?
I don't believe so but they should consider it as unlike typical federal coin metals many others metals used on exonumia need full support or need to remain raw. I had a lengthy conversation with NGC's exonumia manager at a show in 2014 showing her a white metal pronged token I saw on the browse floor which was slightly squared when inspected with a loupe at all 4 prong points and in early 2015 the silicone full gasket became available.
Those medals are interesting... a true cameo presentation. Never saw those at shows.... Cheers, RickO
"Or Lava" sounds like "gold washed" in some language.
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
"Lava" is the name given to some sort of a non metallic composition material that looks like a dull plastic. I have a Lincoln piece that is made of it. The piece is slabbed so I have never touched it to see what it's like in the tactile sense.
BTW the Colfax piece that you displayed in the first message also exists as a die struck metallic piece. I don't have the Grant oberse. This one is listed in DeWitt - Sullivan as SC 1868-1
Here are some articles on lava medals from 1631 and 1944 using lava from Mount Vesuvius. Not sure these are the same thing at all as none of the photos look similar, but the time frame is correct.
Very interesting Bill! I wonder if these can be made today and, if so, who knows how to make them.
To protect more fragile pieces from prongs, I just noticed that PCGS will slab a piece in a cointain. That being said, a fully supportive slab will still relieve pressure points better.
Clay pigeon stuff?
Good use of a CoinTain. They also work well not in slabs.