Medal
A small metal object awarded to recognize achievement or service, or made to commemorate a person or event.
Obverse and reverse: The front and back faces of a coin, medal, or similar object. These faces divide a medal’s imagery, inscriptions, and identifying details.
Olympic medal: An award presented to athletes who place in an Olympic event. It is a globally recognized sporting medal with a defined gold, silver, and bronze ranking.
Coin: A standardized piece of metal issued as money. Coins circulate as currency, while medals generally commemorate or honor.
Honor: Public or personal recognition of conduct, achievement, or status considered worthy of respect. A medal makes an act of recognition tangible and socially visible.
Relief: A sculptural technique in which forms project from a supporting surface. Raised relief gives medal portraits and symbols their dimensional form.
Military decoration: An official award recognizing military service, bravery, or achievement. Many medals honor service or acts of distinction within armed forces.
Badge: An emblem or device worn to identify membership, rank, or qualification. Badges primarily identify status or affiliation; medals primarily recognize or commemorate.
Commemoration: The act of preserving the memory of a person, event, or collective experience. Commemorative medals carry selected memories in durable symbolic form.
Medallic art: The art of designing and making medals, often using sculptural imagery and inscriptions. Medals belong to this art form, which treats both faces as designed compositions.
Commemorative medal: A medal made to mark a person, event, institution, or anniversary. Its purpose is remembrance rather than ranking achievement.