MEDAL (Fr. m'idaille, Lat. nzetallum), a piece of metal in the form of a coin., not issued or circulated as money, but stamped with a figure or device to preserve the portrait of some eminent person, or the memory of some illustrious action or event. The study of medals, interesting in an historical and antiquarian point of view, is also important as illustratino- the contemporary state of art. Like coins, medals belong to two periods, _ancient an% modern, separated by a wide interval. To the former belong those pieces ,;,.suing from the mint of ancient Rome, known as medallions, of the size of the aureus .,old, of the denariits iu silver, and of the first or large brass in copper, They are gener ally supposed to have been struck on occasions similar to those on which medals are coined in modern times, on the accession of an emperor, on the achievement of an important victory, or as specimens of workmanship; but there are circumstances which countenance the bald that they were circulated as money. -Medallions prior to the time of Hadrian are rare and of great value; one of the most beautiful and most famous being. a gold medallion of Augustus Cmsar; from Hadrian to the close of the empire they are. comparatively common. Of the Roman medallions, some.were struck by order of the emperors, some by the senate; the latter may be kuown by being inscribed with the let ters S. C. The larger bronze medallions are of admirable workmanship. In some of them a rino. of bronze surrounds a center of copper, and the inscription extends over both metal's. No portrait of a person not princely occurs on any ancient medal, a remarkable circumstance, considering the numerous contemporary statues of poets, his torians, and philosophers. The contorniati are bronze, medals marked with furrows (con torni), distributed at the public games, and apparently' also in use as money. Numerous medals and medallions were struck in the Greek provinces of the Roman empire, of less substance and thickness, for the most part, than those of Rome. The Sicilian medals are of very fine workmanship, particularly one with a head of Oeres, and on the reverse a Victou crowning a figure in a car.
Modern medals begin in the 14th c., but few were struck prior to the 15th. Portraim of non-princely persons are freely introduced after the 16th century. An affectation of the classical takes from their value as illustrations of contemporary life. Most European countries possess a succession of medals from the 15th c. onwards. The best in point of design of the 15th c. medals are those wrought by Victor Pisani of Verona, and inscribed " Opus Pisani Pictoris." The medals of the popes form an unbroken series. from the time of Paul II., who tilled the papal chair from 1464 to 1471. Those that purport to be of earlier popes are all known to be, in point of fact, of later date. The reverse generally bears the cross-keys and mitre, and the obverse the bead of the reigning pope. Some of the medals of Julius II., Leo X., and Clement VII. have an especiab value, as having been designed by Raphael and Giulio Romano, and engraved by Ben venuto Cellini. A 16th c. medal of Sicily is probably the first instance in inodern times of the use of a medal as a vehicle of political satire; it is directed by Frederick II. against his adversary, Ferdinand of Spain, whose head is on the obverse, with the inscription, " Ferdinandus It. Vetus Vulpes Orbis;" and on the reverse a wolf carrying off a sheep,
-with " Jugum meum..suave est et opus meum leve." Satirical medals were afterwarth. Common in the Low Countries. A medal representing Van Heubingen, the Dutch ambassador, in the character of Joshua arresting the course of the sun, is said to have so exasperated Louis XIV., who was understood to be typified by that luininary, as to cause the whole hostile force of France to be brought against Holland. Some of the .Dutch medals are noted for the elaborate views, maps, and plans engraved on them. France produced few medals prior to the time of Louis XIV.; but there is a series illus trative of the chief events in the life of the Grand Monarque, and another devoted to the atreer of the first Napoleon. The Spanish medals begin with Gonsalvo about 1500. Scotland produced one of the earliest of modern medals, struck by David II„ perhaps. (luring his captivity in England, and formed on the model of the nobles of Edward III. English medals only begin with Henry VIII., and from Edward VI. onward there is. an unbroken Succession of coronation medals. The Scottish gold coronation medal of Charles I. is the first medal struck in Britain with a legend on the edge. The medals of' the commonwealth and Charles II. are by Simon; those of queen Anne record the achievements of Marlborough. Medals, in connedion with numismatics (q.v.), are treated of by the various writers on that subject. • Medals in the present day are conferred by the sovereign as marks of distinction for eminent worth or noble conduct, more particularly for naval and military services. Such medals of honor are seldom of great intrinsic value, their worth depending merely on the• associations connected with them. They have ribbons attached, with clasps or small bars, each of which bears the name of a particular action. The Waterloo medal is of silver, with the head of George IV. (Prince regent), a winged Victory, and the words " Waterloo," " Wellington ;" it hangs from a crimson ribbon, with a narrow stripe of blue near each edge. The Ciimean medal, also of silver, is attached to a blue ribbon with yellow edges when worn for service in the Ciimea, and to a yellow ribbon with blue edges when for service in the Baltic. Good-service medals of silver were instituted in 1830 and 1831, and rules fonned for their distribution among meritorious sailors, soldiers, and marines. The naval inedal is worn suspended from a blue, and the military from a crimson ribbon. There are also various British medals which liave been conferred for services in the Peninsula, India, etc. On every medal is engraved the name, rank, etc., regiment or ship of the recipient of it. Medals and decorations do not seem to have been ever conferred as rewards in the army or navy prior to the commonwealth. The French military medal and the Sardinian war-medal were soine time ago bestowed to a large extent on British officers, soldiers, seamen, ancl marines. The former exhibits the effigy of Napoleon III., surmounted by an eagle, and is worn from a yellow ribbon with green borders; the latter is charged with the cross of Savoy, and suspended from a sky-blue• ribbon. No medal of honor from any foreign sovereign is allowed to be worn or accepted. by any British subject without the sanction of th6.queen.