I wishe we had a separate category for TAMS, but...........

[cpm9ball]

I don't think there would be too many people posting to it! So, I'll just have to continue using "Tangents" for my medals. I just got this today from my "French Connection". Don't ask me to translate the inscription. When I saw this listed, it was posted in French. All I knew was that I liked it.

 

61mm, 4mm, 97g, Copper (Cuivre)

 

Chris

[physics-fan3.14]

It looks like there should have been an engraving in the center of the wreath. Kind of odd to just be empty.

[cpm9ball]

It's not unusual to find them with no inscription. Medals like this are often awarded to an individual at shows, expositions, competitions, etc., and sometimes it is up to the person receiving it to have it engraved. Sometimes, they just don't bother. Other times, more medals are produced in gilt, silver, copper and/or bronze than are needed, and the extras end up stashed away somewhere before they make their way to the collectors market. I have about 150 of these award medals, and only about half of them are inscribed.

 

Chris

[TomB]

My anecdotal observations match what Chris has written about the frequency with which these are found inscribed. It appears that they frequently were over-purchased and make their way onto the open market years later.

[Zoins]

How much do medals from the 1800s go for? Is inscribing it now taboo?

 

People have talked about giving coins from 100 years before someone's birth year as presents. I think giving someone a medal from 100 years ago but inscribing/personalizing it to them now would be an interesting gift.

 

I'm not sure if they are worth a lot and thus should be preserved in their uninscribed state.

[cpm9ball]

If you own it, you can do whatever you want to it. Personally, I think it would be a nice idea as a gift for a family member or close friend.

 

When I first started collecting French, Belgian and Swiss medals, I could win most of them on eBay for less than $40. Then prices gradually began to increase. The one I showed at the top of this post cost me about $25. However, there are some that I have (which I got dirt cheap) that now sell for 2x, 3x and even 4x what I paid.

 

I know I shouldn't be doing this (it's like cutting my own throat), but one of my favorite sellers in France is fabrice59 . Pardon me, but I don't know whether this seller is a male or female. He/she always has very low opening bids and, depending on who may be watching, you can often get nice specimens at very reasonable prices.

 

You can also go to this site: http://coins.search.ebay.com/_Medals_W0QQsacatZ3454QQsspagenameZADMEQ3aBQ3aWNAQ3aUSQ3a304

 

There are usually 60-70 pages of medals both foreign and domestic.

 

Chris

 

PS. If you really want something nice, look for copper or silver medals 50-70mm in diameter. A word of caution though, European sellers think nothing of improperly cleaning old medals. Some of them even look like Brillo pads have been used on them. So, look carefully.

[World Colonial]

I do not know very much about medals but if I had more money to add another specialty to my collection I wouLd add them. Jean Elsier has a nice selection of medals in their auctions occasionally. European from 16th century onward. My first choice though would be Spanish colonial and Latin America. These appear to be much scarcer though the prices are not cheap for high quality specimens. I have only one, a 1789 Peru (Fohnrobert 8942) 4R Proclamation medal NGC AU-50.