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Collector article · Numismatics

Collecting, researching value and caring for medals and jetons

Medals and jetons record events, honours and everyday accounting. Their interest lies in inscriptions, makers and history, so documentation matters more than appearance.

Evidence to record · limits to respect

Purpose and inscriptions
Record and compareRecord both legends, denomination if present, issuer and evidence of award, commemoration or accounting use.
Limits of the evidenceAbsence of denomination does not rule out a coin; a suspension loop can be a later addition.
Occasion and attribution
Record and compareSeparate the commemorated event from manufacture; transcribe signature, initials and their location.
Limits of the evidenceA portrait likeness is not an attribution. The event year is not necessarily the striking year.
Relief and manufacture
Record and compareDescribe relief, seams, sprue traces, tooling and the source's stated casting or striking method.
Limits of the evidenceCasting can be original manufacture. Soft detail or pitting alone does not prove a later copy.
Metal and edge
Record and compareMeasure diameter and mass; record edge stamps, lettering and any documented alloy or finish.
Limits of the evidencePatina and colour cannot establish alloy. A face photograph often conceals the marks needed to date a restrike.
Issue and later versions
Record and compareCompare size, inscriptions, edge marks and documented versions against a specifically cited specimen.
Limits of the evidenceA model, cast, original striking and restrike are different objects; never transfer the museum's attribution silently.

Browse related records

Filter the catalogue after identifying the exact type and documented field.

Care-first rule

Orbis does not publish valuations. Use realised auction results only as context, and confirm what exactly was sold before comparing.

Choose a documented scope

Medal collections work best around a clear theme: one medallist, city, ruler, event series, society or type of jeton. A theme makes attribution comparable and exposes gaps.

  • Separate commemorative medals, award medals, jetons and tokens in your records.
  • Record the issuing city, council or institution as named on the piece.
  • Transcribe legends in the original language, with a translation kept separately.
  • Cite the museum record or reference book used for each attribution.

Watch for restrikes, casts and copies

Popular medals were restruck from original dies and widely copied as casts. A later striking can be genuine and still be a different object from a contemporary one.

  • Check edges for later mint marks or metal-content stamps.
  • Compare weight and diameter with documented specimens.
  • Grainy surfaces and soft detail suggest casting.
  • Record 'contemporary or later striking not established' when unsure.

Common questions

Is a jeton a coin?
No. A jeton was a counter used for calculation on a reckoning board and was not legal tender, though many look like coins.
Is a restrike worthless?
No, but it is a different object from a contemporary striking and should be described as such.
Where do the medals in this catalogue come from?
Many are museum objects with open-access photographs. Each record names its source and states where broader type research is still required.