Medal

Gedenkmedaille der Feuerwehr München (1912)
intending medal of the fire-brigade Munich (1912)
silver medal for the 2. Winner in a paralympischen competition 2004
Nancy Johnson (the USA) and their gold medal with the olympic plays in Sydney (10 m shoot Luftgewehr)

medal is an intending or a looking coinage, those to special opportunitiescoined/shaped, when honour honor assigned is created or as art object. It may not be confounded with a coin, which is provided with a nominal value as official currency coined/shaped and.

The word medal originates from the French, the term goes on the means latin word medalliafor a small coin back. It resembles the plaque and occasionally with this is confounded; Plaques usually show a one-sided raised representation, whereas medals on both pages exhibit motives for picture or writing. Originally it made of metal poured, since Münzprägeverfahren became generally accepted, find theseexcept for isolated exceptions also for medals application. Medals can be manufactured in positive or negative coinage and be accepted with larger depth of the motives also the character of a small plastics. In the Renaissance medals were used for the first time as art objects, the Roman heavy money served as model. InMedals do not only know contrast to coins of national and/or. official side e.g. separate considering some fewer restrictions. also by enterprises, associations or private people to be manufactured and spent.

Medals are above all common

  • as intending coinages without nominal value from cause of an event, anniversary, tooHonour a personality o.a.
  • when and isolates honors for outstanding sporty, scientific, vocational or
  • cultural achievements as coinages made of melted metals of special origin, so e.g. Pieces from a fallen airship, a locomotive or the copper roof of a city hall

in particular in the sport is an honour of the threebest sportsman and/or. Crews by gold -, silver - and a bronze - medal alternatively for the delivery of a cup admits. In accordance with above definition it concerns thereby however pretty often plaques, the numismatisch precise designation is reflected thus not consistently generally linguistic usageagain.

The fact that medals have always two (picture) sides, led also to the phrase of the drawback the medal. With it it is to be expressed that circumstances concerned can be regarded and evaluated from two points of view.

Table of contents

acquaintance medals

medals with many important sporty meetings are lent. The winner medals are most well-known with

for outstanding scientific achievements are lent (selection):

for military achievements e.g. become. lent:

for achievements in social areas is lent:

literature

  • Leonard Forrer: Biographical dictionary OF medallists: coin, in accordance with, and seal engravers, mint masters, & C., ancient and decay; with references ton theirs works; B.C. 500 - A.D. 1900. London 1904-1930. (6 volumes).

see also

Web on the left of

 

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