The E-Sylum:  Volume 6, Number 20, May 18, 2003, Article 7

PRIVATE  MINTS  REPORT

  Dick Johnson writes: "I have just returned from a 2-week tour
  where I visited several private mints gathering last-minute data
  for my upcoming directory:  American Artists, Diesinkers,
  Engravers, Medalists and Sculptors of Coins and Medals.
  These plant tours opened my eyes; it has been 25 years since
  I worked for Medallic Art (in New York City and Danbury)
  where I was intimately concerned with medal design, die
  preparations, stamping and marketing of high-quality medals.

  Here are my comments on the current status of the American
  Medal from my recent observations:

 (1) Private Mints are vibrant, business was brisk at both plants I visited.

 (2) However, Speed is killing Art in current medal manufacturing.

  Either customers are demanding product in too quick a time
  or the medalmakers have come to offer such service that
  medallic artists are being shut out of creating the fine art
  medals of the past. The bulk of  the work is being done by
  hand operators using tracer controlled milling engravers,
  rather than reducing sculptors' oversize models on die-
  engraving pantographs. Craftsmen have won out over artists.

  (3) Medal manufacturing is now a scion of the advertising specialty field.

  (4) Computers are dominating medal design, and even some die preparation.

  (5) Every medalmaker I visited had carved out their own
      niche in the medallic field, despite competition among
      all their fellow American medalmakers.

  (6) Current medalmakers are encouraging innovation, in
       the diestruck items they produce, in some parts of their
       production (using all the old equipment I was familiar
       with a generation ago), but mostly in creative mounting.
       The later now give new clients the answer to the age-old
       question, "What do you do with a medal?"

   Too much of what I saw going through these plants,
   however, were destined for the recipients' junk drawer
   (or a melting pot!), and should any of these medals ever get
   into the hands of some future numismatic dealer would be
   tossed into their cheapest junk box.  Too many corporate
   logos, too many devices alone without any reason for their
   issuing, all of this because of the influence of the advertising
   specialty field.

  Oh, how much better would all that effort and money be put
  to creating medals in what medallic art does best -- creating
  mementos of historical importance for future generations,
  honoring, say,  an organization's anniversary or a company
  milestone. That is, striking a medal for a significant event!"

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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