The commemorative medal symbolizes pride in recognition, conveyed through its exquisite beauty and sophistication. With a tradition spanning millennia, dating back to Ancient Rome, it has long been a coveted reward for valorous actions by soldiers.
The art of medal crafting experienced a renaissance during the Renaissance, flourishing in Florence as a lasting testament to noteworthy events and illustrious individuals. Comprising a small metal disc adorned with figures and inscriptions, the commemorative medal remains relevant today, serving as a token to commemorate events or individuals, offering official recognition for outstanding achievements in military, sports, and corporate realms.
In the contemporary context, the medal stands as the authentic and tangible symbol of celebrating success for companies seeking to convey their prestige to others while preserving it over time. It stands as a unique object that, from its classical origins to refinement in the Renaissance era, symbolizes the symbiosis between memory, culture, and art.
Objects That Speak for Us
Choosing a commemorative medal today to represent your company and solidify the memory you wish to celebrate is the ideal gift for employees and clients. Investing in an object that lasts forever and appreciates over time is a symbol of lasting value. This gesture ensures that your colleagues feel a sense of belonging to the company, gratified for their achievements.
Moreover, by gifting your medal to clients, you demonstrate your value and the significance of your relationship, fostering mutual trust. Unfortunately, many companies today opt to save costs by purchasing medals from international or foreign manufacturers that do not certify their production. Widespread use of low-quality materials and rudimentary, standardized craftsmanship further compromises the end product.
A mediocre product with limited durability risks being discarded after a few days, severely damaging the company’s image and diminishing the achievement being celebrated. What will your clients and collaborators think of your company if the object chosen to represent your excellence is perceived as having no value or meaning?
To truly represent the prestige your company deserves, you must rely on someone who guarantees the creation of a valuable, impeccable object crafted with expertise and lasting quality.
An Excellent Partner
With 120 years of history dating back to the early 20th century, Picchiani & Barlacchi has been chosen to contribute to the image and value of countless companies. Throughout its century-long journey, the company has maintained almost unchanged metalworking processes. Today, the professionalism of artists, designers, engravers, printers, and all artisans continues without losing sight of the goal of making the memory of a special occasion, corporate milestone, or event indelible.
In 2013, the world’s leading Mega Yacht company, Cantieri Navali Benetti, chose to celebrate its 140-year history with a commemorative medal from Picchiani & Barlacchi, representing Italian excellence.
Explore more on this page: Medal for Benetti Shipyard’s 140 Years
In 2015, the company minted the official coin for Expo 2015, intended for Heads of State and major Italian and international institutions.
The Crafting Phases of a Medal
Picchiani & Barlacchi can assure this prestige thanks to over a century of experience and Florentine family and artisanal tradition. Each project is tailored to make your medal a true and unique work of art, meticulously crafted in every detail.
The initial phase is Drawing, during which we study the theme to be developed with you and the people involved in the project, creating a tailor-made graphic sketch protected by Picchiani & Barlacchi’s Copyright. This ensures that you have a uniquely designed medal, exclusively reserved for you and your company.
After any modifications and your approval, the artist creates a larger-sized plaster cast, allowing for precise interventions on the reliefs to make the cast perfect for subsequent operations.
Molten bronze is poured into the impression obtained from the plaster, and the resulting “art model” is smoothed and refined for a perfect final result.
From the large bronze model, the reproduction in steel (called the “punch”) is obtained through a pantograph.
Once again, our engravers perfect the features to eliminate any flaws in the final product.
The punch is hand-finished by our engravers to refine the features and then tempered at 850°.
By compressing the punch onto a steel cylinder using a balance, the coin is obtained, i.e., the mold to produce the medals.
After the final touch by engravers on the reliefs, the actual “coining” phase takes place, i.e., the “printing” of the specimens. These specimens are then refined through meticulous chemical, physical, and artisanal processes that enhance the chiaroscuro of the sculpture, the color, and brilliance of the metal, and are checked to eliminate any defective pieces.
These processes allow the medal to undergo no alterations over time, making the represented memory truly eternal.
Tradition Serving Uniqueness
Choosing a Picchiani & Barlacchi commemorative medal means having a completely personalized object, created through the work of artists and artisans who, for 120 years, have passed down the values and professionalism of the territory rooted in their history.
And you can be sure to achieve the desired effect on your colleagues and clients.
Write to us on the Contacts page to discuss your needs.