A medal or medallion is a tiny portable aesthetic item that consists of a thin disc, generally made of metal, with a pattern on both sides. They usually serve some type of commemorative function, and many are offered as prizes. They might be designed to be worn, suspended from clothes, or used as jewelry. They can be die-cast in a mold or struck like a coin with dies.

A medal can be given to a person or an organization in appreciation of their sports, military, scientific, cultural, intellectual, or other accomplishments. Certain forms of state decorations are referred to as military awards and decorations. Medals can also be made for sale to honor certain people or events or as pieces of art in their own right. Medals commissioned for individuals in the past, often with their image, were frequently used as a diplomatic or personal present, with no feeling of being a reward for the recipient’s behavior.

A “medalist” is an artist who produces medals or medallions. Medals have always been popular collectibles, and they are classified as either exonumia or militaria in numismatics.

In the proper sense of the term, medallions are larger, starting at around four inches across, and are usually too large to be worn comfortably, though the term “medallion” is frequently used colloquially to refer to a medal worn as a necklace pendant (as in the 1960s and 1970s medallion man fashion style) or other types of medals. Because medallions are too enormous to be worn and may only be exhibited on a wall, tabletop, desk, or cabinet, they are also known as “table medals.”

Medals are traditionally stamped or cast from a mold using dies on a strong metal flan or planchet. The artwork, which often includes text, is normally in low relief. However, it is often raised above that of coins: Limited-edition medals can be struck many times, allowing for more metal displacement than coins struck once for general circulation. The most popular metals are circular; rectangular medals are sometimes referred to as plaquettes. Other forms, particularly crosses and stars, are frequently used by “decorators.” These often have a suspension loop as well as a broad, colorful ribbon with a clip at the top for connecting to clothes worn on the chest.

The obverse is the primary or front surface of a medal, and it may have a portrait, pictorial scene, or another image, as well as an inscription. The rear surface of the medal, known as the reverse, is not usually utilized and may be left blank or include a supplementary design. On the obverse, it’s not unusual to see simply an aesthetic depiction, with all of the medal’s features and other information engraved on the reverse. Only on rare occasions is the rim used to display an inscription such as a motto, privy mark, engraver sign, assayer’s marking, or series number.

Download Medal Silhouette PNG Transparent Images background