Numismatics, a broad area of study that includes money, also encompasses coin-like objects such as medals. Medals are issued to commemorate an event, person, or place, and may be produced from precious metal (such as gold), base metal (such as nickel), or other material (such as wood). Unlike coins, medals do not need to be stacked. As a result, their relief—the height of the design elements above the background—can be higher than that of a coin. Their generally larger size also gives the designer a larger canvas for creativity. Medals can be awarded to a single person as an official recognition by a government or other organization, or commercially produced and sold to the general public for a profit.
Carolina Elephant token, 1694
The Carolina Elephant token is the earliest numismatic object associated with the Carolinas, dating from around 1694. Historians remain uncertain about its purpose, but many believe it was produced in England either as a halfpenny token or as a promotional piece for the North American settlement of the Carolina Plantation. Elephant tokens were likely not circulated here, but they nevertheless remain part of our numismatic tradition.
The token’s name derives from the tusk-to-tail profile of an element. As far as historians and numismatists know, the elephant had no symbolic importance for the Carolinas. The image was likely chosen because of a die that was already available in the Royal Mint collection. Although the piece is called a token, it bears no indication of a denomination. It might be better classified as a medal.
North Carolina Collection Numismatic Fund
James Polk medal, 1964
Designed by Ralph J. Menconi, Medallic Art Company
A portrait of North Carolina native and eleventh U.S. president James K. Polk appears on this medal in very high relief. While high relief produces an attractive result, it would never exist on a coin: Striking high relief is difficult and quickly wears out the dies used in striking. And the uneven surface of a high-relief medal prevents it from stacking. Companies sometimes produce medals simply based on anticipated demand.
Gift of Blue Ridge Numismatic Association
Lafayette Medal, 1939
Whitehead and Hoag, Newark, New Jersey
The city of Fayetteville, named in honor of Frenchman Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette, who served in the American Revolutionary War as a general, issued a medal to commemorate the bicentennial of the first settlement the town. The reverse shows the Market House, which served as town market from 1832 until 1906 and is now a city landmark.
Gift of Neil Fulghum
UNC Bicentennial Medal, 1993
This medal was produced for the 1993 bicentennial of the University of North Carolina. The 051/200 marking on the edge (not shown) indicates it is example 51 of a production run of 200. A limited production often appeals to the collector, who usually values rarity. The medal’s obverse depicts three of the University’s most famous landmarks: the Old Well, the Davie Poplar, and on the reverse, a silhouette of Old East and the Old Well. Dr. Jerry Linenger, a UNC alumnus and doctor of aerospace medicine, took one of these medals aboard the space shuttle Discovery, which orbited the earth in September 1994.
Gift of UNC Bicentennial Office
Reverend Billy Graham and Ruth Graham medal, 1997
United States Mint
Commemorating North Carolina evangelist Billy Graham, his wife Ruth, and the Mission Children’s Hospital in Asheville, this large medal is also associated with the Gold Medal Endowment Fund, an ongoing fund raising campaign for the hospital. Produced by the United States Mint, this medal is a bronze replica of the Congressional Gold Medal presented to the Grahams on May 2, 1996.
Gift of Michael Lynch
State of North Carolina Award, 1964
Designed by Paul Manship, Medallic Art Company of New York
Playwright Paul Green received this medal in 1964, when he won the North Carolina Award — the highest civilian honor the State of North Carolina can bestow. The medal features the Great Seal as it appeared in 1961, the year of the award’s establishment. Other design features are charged with symbolism: Liberty, modeled after the Roman goddess Minerva, holds the Constitution and a “liberty cap,” a symbol of freedom used in revolutionary America. At right, the goddess Plenty holds an overflowing cornucopia, signifying food and abundance. The ship at right represents commerce. A red, white, and blue ribbon attaches to the medal for wear around the neck. The earliest of these medals, including Green’s, were made of fourteen-karat gold.
Estate of Elizabeth Lay Green
Mecklenburg Declaration Bicentennial medal, 1975
Commemorating the 200th anniversary of the 1775 Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, this medal displays a matte or non-reflective finish. The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence is claimed by some to be the first declaration of independence made in the Thirteen Colonies during the American Revolution. The declaration was allegedly signed on May 20, 1775, in Charlotte, North Carolina, by a committee of citizens of Mecklenburg County, who declared independence from Great Britain after hearing of the battle of Lexington. The authenticity of the Mecklenburg Declaration has been disputed since it was first published in 1819, forty-four years after it was reputedly written.
Gift of Neil Fulghum, Kevin Cherry
Promotional medal for New York World’s Fair, 1939
Aluminum Company of America
This aluminum medal promoted the state of North Carolina at the 1939 New York World’s Fair. Medal designers depicted what North Carolinians found to be the state’s outstanding features. Design elements include the Great Smokey Mountains, the Wright Brothers' Flyer, and Virginia Dare, the first English child born in America. According to one source, the North Carolina Department of Conservation and Development distributed the medal as an advertising piece at the Fair’s North Carolina exhibit. The issue was limited to 25,000 pieces and was donated by the Aluminum Co. of America (now Alcoa, Inc.), which once operated a plant in North Carolina.
Andrews-Rankin Collection
Daniel Boone wooden nickel, 1934
Not all medals are metal. Some are wooden nickels, such as this one commemorating the 200th anniversary of the birth of legendary frontiersman Daniel Boone, who once lived in North Carolina. Wooden nickels are often made by an organization as an inexpensive giveaway keepsake. They are usually printed on a smooth hardwood blank.
Gift of Davie County Public Library