Custom Medallion
Fugawee has been making event medallions for reenactors and events for over 30 years.
These are a few of the hundreds of medallion designs that have been produced by Fugawee through the patience and skill of Nancy Ayotte. Her background includes study at the Art Students’ League in New York and jewelry design and fabrication. The two Indian medallions on the right and left are part of a ten-year series of medallions made for the Travers de Sioux celebration in Mankato MN. Each features a bas-relief portrait of one of the chiefs involved in the Great Sioux Uprising of 1862. Nancy works from sketches and photographs to create such designs. The medal with the ribbon is a recognizable reproduction (not a rip-off) of the Spanish American War victory medal. It was manufactured for a museum shop and re-enactor group. There is enough difference in dating and wording so that there can be no confusion.
Types of medallions
There are two basic classes of medallions. The first is made like those shown above. A picture of the subject is rendered into relief by the sculptor’s art. The second type, as on the left, is a straight photo-etched product. It avoids the cost of sculpting and often is suitable for a small rendezvous or when cost is a factor.
Cost: There is one unavoidable cost. This is the $200 for the mold. It is for the MOLD ONLY. Other costs also apply.
The mold charge must be divided between all the medallions. Thus, the two hundred dollar mold cost would come to a two dollars apiece if you ordered a hundred medallions. However, for an order of a thousand medallions, the MOLD-MAKING cost per medallion would only be a dime. The same sort of cost division applies to sculpture work. The cost per unit is reduced on larger orders because the bench and mold costs are divided by a higher number. The cost of casting and finishing must be added on an individual basis. The cost of heat and labor is more or less constant. Metal prices vary with the cost of tin which makes up about 90% of our alloy.
Sculpting can be as low as $50 total for an order to about $250 total for the order. Thus, a well-sculpted medallion will cost $150 to $300 for the mold and bench time. You must divide this into the number of medallions in the order. Let’s say that your order is for 500 medallions. The artwork and mold together will cost $350 divided by 500 units or $.70 per unit. This is not the total cost. You must also figure in the cost of metal and casting.
If the order was only 250 medallions instead of 500, medallions, the mold and bench time per unit would double to $1.40 per unit while the cost of casting and finishing per unit would remain the same.
Most people ordering medallions are first-timers. We realize this and will work with you to turn out a medallion you can be proud of.
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