How Our Medals Are Made
People ask us fairly often how our medals are made, usually after picking one up and being surprised by the weight. Here is the short version.
Design first
Every medal starts as artwork. Themes come from causes our community cares about, from seasons, and from series that people want to collect. The design is refined for legibility at actual size, because detail that looks stunning on a screen frequently turns to mush once it is 70mm across.
Die casting
A steel die is cut from the approved artwork, and the medal is struck or cast from it. This is the step that gives a medal its depth and its weight. It is also the reason designs come in batches rather than on demand, and why a retired series does not simply reappear.
Plating and finish
Medals are plated in finishes such as antique gold, antique silver, antique copper and bright metal. Antique finishes are polished back after plating so the raised detail catches the light while the recesses stay dark. It is what makes a design read properly from across a room.
Enamel and colour
Colour is added as enamel within the recessed areas, then cured. Soft enamel leaves the metal lines standing proud, which is what gives our medals their texture. Colours are matched to the design rather than picked from whatever is closest.
Ribbons, certificates and packing
Each medal is paired with a ribbon chosen for the design, and packed with a certificate recording your challenge, activity and distance. We pack and post every Sunday and Monday, and we ship worldwide.
Want your own?
The same process is available for clubs, schools, workplaces and events through bulk and custom medals.
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