baseball medal

[GaryPassamonte]

I have this small medal pictured. It has CL MED marked on the reverse. It seems to be made of silver. Would this have originally been attached to a cloth ribbon? Any information would be appreciated.

[HexsHeroes]

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. . . it wouldn't happen to be a 1916-D would it ?

[GaryPassamonte]

From the rarest to the most common. It's a 1944.

[springpin]

In all likelihood there are two missing parts. A ribbon went through the loop, and the ribbon was attached to a metal bar with a clasp pin on the reference. The medal was intended to be worn. The reverse of the medal contains a large blank area where the maker left room for the buyer to make an engraving of sorts, something like "Champion, XYZ Tournament". The buyer (tournament host) would then give the medal to a player.

The medal is somewhat unusual in that silver medals were usually reserved for individual sports, as boxing or track/field, where there is one winner. Team sport medals were typically made of brass (which are more common in general). Sometime and somewhere someone valued this event enough to warrant the price of silver. Dated pieces are generally in the 1900-1920 era.

Finally, the medal came in a rectangular presentation box, which would have in all likelihood contained some information as to the maker and its location.

[GaryPassamonte]

Thanks, Springpin. Very good information. Is the pin worth any more than its silver content?

[pgellis]

This is a fairly modern medal. It is not made of silver. The "CL MED" on the back refers to the company that produces these types of medals. The company is Classic Medallics located in New York. They are still in business today. www.classic-medallics.com

This medal would have a neck ribbon that attaches to the medal and would be draped over the person's neck.

I own a trophy shop and purchase medals from this company all the time. I would say that this medal is probably not more than 20 years old and is not worth anything. Their medals of this size wholesale for about $1.00.

This particular baseball medal has been discontinued and is no longer offered.

[GaryPassamonte]

Thanks, Phil. This pin was found with a group of items that all go back to the 1960s. It is also quite heavy. Any idea what type of metal it may be?

[springpin]

If Phil is knowledgeable of the "CL MED" identification, I defer to his judgment. As to the weight, perhaps the metal is lead-based. There is an area of collecting that is directed to medallions (of all types, political, civic, etc.). If you would like more information about it (reference books, etc.), I know someone who could help you out.

[pgellis]

Here is an scan of the back of one of their "silver medals" that I have in stock right now. Notice the "CL MED" is still used today.

Their medals are made from brass right now. Some companies use zinc as well. Not 100% sure of what your medal is made of, but this company would never have used silver since they are in the wholesale business of medals.