I think I need to own one of these!!
keets
Posts: 25,351 ✭✭✭✭✭
I have been an unsuccessful bidder on this particular medal two times now and I think I need to step up and bid heavy to win it next time. There's just something about it that "gets" me.
It's a Society of Medalists issue from 1985, designed by Donald De Lue who was maybe 85 years old at the time. The design is impressive and is matched by its very intimidating size: 72mm x 72mm with rounded edges and a staggering 24mm thick, it easily
weighs over a pound. The mintage was reported at 750 pcs. and according to info in a Stack's listing it required 14 strikes to raise the detail to the artist's specifications, with the medal being annealed after each strike.
Below are some pictures and a link. Enjoy, just don't bid against me, please, when another comes up for auction. 
Al H.
medallicartcollector.org/som-111.shtml
Comments
That’s a beautiful medal! Are they hard to find?
Sad ending to the Society of Medalists. Seems like they didn’t focus on membership.
It's an interesting medal for sure. Interesting that it is a struck medal, I would have guessed cast at first glance.
I have to think you'll find one someday, and maybe even at a level less than you have seen them go for. Coin dealings have a way to end up that way. Now you have a better comfort level and price history to place bids, but maybe you just see it for sale someplace and you can snatch it up.
This recently happened to me. One medal I was fawning over in a dealer archive came up for sale on Ebay as a BIN but unfortunately it had a ring soldered to it that I didn't like at the price. Sometime later, another even finer example shows up in my searches for a fraction of the price and I gleefully snag it. Your medal is out here! Maybe not in your desired time frame but if your patient, the medal and the circumstances will be perfect, no doubt.
I like it!!
Is it a Mime in a box?
@Keets. Al, It’s an interesting artistic design for a medal that’s well executed.
Thanks for sharing.
However, I could not resist posting the following video👇clip from the movie 🎥 “Airplane” 🍿(apologies in advance). — One of the funnier scenes in the movie... LOL!! 😂🤣👍
Stuart
Collect 18th & 19th Century US Type Coins, Silver Dollars, $20 Gold Double Eagles and World Crowns & Talers with High Eye Appeal
"Luck is what happens when Preparation meets Opportunity"
Do you own a copy of David T. Alexander’s book on the Society of Medalist issues?
That is one heck of a medal Al... Huge....Really detailed sculpting and the process to produce it was interesting. Thanks for showing us... Cheers, RickO
These are popular but not rare. There are two on eBay now, and two more sold in the past month. The recent Stack's sale price was in line with the others.
The art medal market has always been thin during my collecting experience. A mintage of 750 is actually quite high when demand is taken into consideration. Maybe if we encased them in plastic and covered them with "stickers" their popularity would improve!
Patience brings rewards. I have found a few of the SOM pieces that I wanted for less than I was willing to pay. Every dog has its day.
Chiropractor coin.
I think I would like it more if it was a naked girl instead of a naked dude
Still impressive
These are popular but not rare......................
yeah, I saw the two on eBay and both seem inferior to the Stack's example and more expensive. it's interesting that I have been an under-bidder in two at Stack's and they both sold for the same price. looking at them it is clear they are different, though.
one thing is certain from viewing a lot of images, the color and appearance of the medals varies quite a bit. I don't know if that's from storage or shenanigans but I have a pretty good idea what an "original" finish should look like. I shall endeavor to wait for one of them at a commensurate price I see as reasonable.
Jonathan, do you have one???
LOL!! 🤣😂👍 at what @JWitten said!!👇
Stuart
Collect 18th & 19th Century US Type Coins, Silver Dollars, $20 Gold Double Eagles and World Crowns & Talers with High Eye Appeal
"Luck is what happens when Preparation meets Opportunity"
To go along with Stuart's "Airplane" post, here goes.....Early this morning I was sitting in my favorite recliner looking through the forum with little 3 year old Hydrant Joey at my side. We stumbled across this thread. Joey's comment was, "Papa, I can see that man's butt!" We both laughed.
you guys need to keep your children away from HK-471 and 471a.
That's what my wife said when I asked her about the "man in the box".
BST transactions: dbldie55, jayPem, 78saen, UltraHighRelief, nibanny, liefgold, FallGuy, lkeigwin, mbogoman, Sandman70gt, keets, joeykoins, ianrussell (@GC), EagleEye, ThePennyLady, GRANDAM, Ilikecolor, Gluggo, okiedude, Voyageur, LJenkins11, fastfreddie, ms70, pursuitofliberty, ZoidMeister,Coin Finder, GotTheBug, edwardjulio, Coinnmore, Nickpatton, Namvet69,...
This medal is called "Bursting the Bounds"
Here are the 2 on the bay. They both have Make Offer turned on so you could do that if you wanted.
This super thick as mentioned by @keets.
P.S. That's not all you can see if you look closely at the obverse. Little Hydrant Joey didn't notice that part and I didn't bring it up. By the way, the little guy likes to help out with the collection. He has a few old used Whitmans that he is currently working on. Fills the holes all by himself. The dates don't matter. Why should they. He doesn't know his numbers yet. Maybe he's trying to tell all us old folks something. For him, the joy is just in filling up all those holes. Remember those days? The project today is cleaning up a dirty Sac dollar that I found in the bed of my old pickup. It's currently soaking in a shot glass. We're using KLEEN KING. The label says it cleans and brightens stainless steel and copper pots and pans, stainless steel sinks and car wheels. There is a MONEY BACK GUARANTEE. It should work. It is a subsidiary product of the Bon Ami Co. That's the stuff I used back when. Always got good results. Now all we need is a good stiff toothbrush. Then we can sit back, hoist a glass of chocolate milk and admire our work.
The complete history of the Society Of Medalists, as well as the Circle of the Friends of the Medallion, can be found here:
https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Circle-Friends-Medallion-Society-Medalists/David-Thomason-Alexander/9780897223171
You'll get no competition from me. NO DESIRE to own stuff like that.
This needs a swivel stand to go with it.
It would also be amazing to do a cutout of this.