MORE ON MEDAL MAKER LORIOLI FRATELLI

I did business with Lorioli from 1961 to 1967, and visited with them twice over various projects that I commissioned, i.e. an unfinished Presidential series of 50mm medallions, and another completed project for my father's business in Winnipeg, Canada depicting a provincial map/flower series of medallions in honor of Canada's centenary in 1967.

Having an extensive knowledge at the time in various metal stamping production processes in that trade and another unrelated business trade thatI operated as well, never did I see any sign of pressure casting, or die casting machinery of any type.

Lorioli had a very large array of stamping presses, ranging from high speed coin presses for 32mm and under planchets and strips, to very high striking capacity in excess of 500 tons for striking and raising images on their 100mm and large projects, such as the Pius X11/Holy Year 100mm pieces, with the most incredible relief, and the JFK 100mm 1964 commemorative piece done in house and sculpted by Constantio Affer (who did some of our work), a gentle, and intense artist with whom we had the pleasure of being shown personally, his work right from original, to plasters, to the pantograph master die cutting process.

Happily, I still retain a few each of the above.

As the faking, or less politely put, counterfeiting, it would be insulting to Lorioli in the least, as to this day, still working with makers in precision die casting commissions of high grade pressure casting and "lost wax" investment casting, and although a number of firms have sent us their best presentation pieces over the years, there is no way outside of use of time honored quality stamping presses with specially hardened tool steel dies that one could ever achieve the artistic integrity and detail that firms like Lorioli have excelled in for centuries.

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: ITALIAN MAKER OF PAPAL AND RELIGIOUS MEDALS: LORIOLI FRATELLI (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v12n46a12.html)

Wayne Homren, Editor

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