From the development of powerful cold metal presses, to the casting of molten metal and reducing machine use, the process for producing medals, medallions, coins, tokens and plaques has not changed significantly for over a hundred years. It is a traditional industry developed in Europe as an art-form. It is said to have begun in 1438 in Renaissance Italy by Pisanello, formally known as Antonio di Puccio Pisano a painter and sculptor. He first cast a medal of Byzantine Emperor John VIII. The medal is round, high relief and strongly resembles a coin in both design and shape.

Medals can be struck in copper, bronze alloys or precious metals such as silver and gold. Other metals can be considered although dependent upon their minting abililities. Sizes can vary from 10mm up to 100mm and although are usually round do not necessarily restricted to round.

Ergonomics society of Australia medal

Medals, medallions, coins, tokens and plaques all have the same general process in production and take from 3 weeks to as much as 8 weeks to produce. Delivery times for medals are from 3 to 6 weeks from design approval.

Design – 1-2 weeks
Designs are developed according to the customers brief in consultation with an artist specialised in minted products. The designs are prepared first as concept drawings then finished on computer. Upon approval by the customer the design then proceeds to the sculptor to sculpt the plaster model. Decisions such as finished size, metal and type of surface finish need to be established at this stage although some flexibility does exist.

Artist working on medal designs

Sculpting of the plaster model – 1-3 weeks
The sculptor works from the design first in plasticine or clay on a sheet of glass to build up the image of the design. This is called bas-relief sculpture. A plaster is then cast from the plasticine and then using special hand tools the sculptor further works the plaster model until complete. The sculpting process takes around 1 to 3 weeks depending upon the complexity of the design. One plaster model is required for each side of a medal.

Sculptor working on a plaster model

From the plaster model a silicone rubber mold is cast then an epoxy resin model is cast from the rubber mold. This epoxy resin model is a copy of the plaster model only in a more durable medium required for the next stage.

Reducing Machine - 1week
The reducing machine is a unique tracing/engraving machine used specifically by the minting industry. The epoxy resin model is traced by the reducing machine over a period of several days cutting the design into special tool steel, first with a roughing cut and then a finer finishing cut to capture the detail that the sculptor has skilfully sculpted into the model. The copied design cut into steel is known as the reduction punch or hob.

The reducing machine

The reduction punch is checked by a specialist hand engraver to ensure that there are no imperfections from the tracing and cutting process by the reducing machine. This task is performed under a microscope and requires great skill in using specialist hand tools. Once the engraver is satisfied with the finish the reduction punch is heat treated so that the steel is appropriately hardened for the next process known as hobbing.

Engraver working on master tooling for coins

Master and Production Tooling 1-3 weeks
The hardened reduction punch is then placed into a hydraulic press for the hobbing process. The reduction punch is pressed into another piece of tool steel at incredible pressures of up to 800 tonnes to create a negative impression of the design. This may take several attempts to achieve the full size and detail of the medal or coin design with an annealing (softening) of the steel between each pressing as it work hardens as pressure is applied.

This negative is called the die. The die is used to strike the medals after it has been machined in a lathe and heat treated (hardened), otherwise known as the production die.

Production dies

For coins this die becomes the master die for safety and security purposes and the hobbing process is then repeated two more times. The first time to produce an additional positive image similar to the reduction punch although of better quality. This is called the working hob. The second and final time to produce the production dies or working dies. The engraver works on each stage again ensuring that there are no imperfections in the design.

Pressing of Medals
Two production dies are prepared for fitting into a hydraulic press, one for the obverse and the other for the reverse of the medal. Appropriate to the metal required for the finished medals or coins blanks are punched from sheets of the metal, copper, bronze alloys, silver or gold. The blanks are placed between the dies in the press and contained by a collar. Then squeezed at pressures of around 300 to 600 tonnes. Depending upon the height of the relief in the design the medal may have to be struck several times with intermediate anneals (heating to soften) to achieve the full detail of relief.

Annealing high relief medals for a second strike

Finishing of Medals
The medals are then finished accordingly. Some may have a patina applied to give an antique appearance and also to protect it from oxygen within the atmosphere or a frosted, satin finish. Some may be electroplated with gold or silver some may have a proof type finish which is a polished appearance straight from the dies during the pressing process.

Finishing medals

Occasionally medals may have fittings applied to hang from ribbons to be worn around the recipients neck or pinned to their lapel.

The medals are then packed into their presentation boxes. Presentation boxes come in a variety of differing styles from soft-bodied leather style cases to custom made wooden boxes.

The Ergonomics Society of Australia Medal showing obverse and reverse