Aluminum Medals

Aluminum wasn’t always the most common metal around. Back in the early 1800’s when the process was first discovered that enabled the manufacture of aluminum in metal form aluminum was considered to be very rare and valuable. It was a modern miracle back then and valued higher than gold. As time went on our ability to produce aluminum continually improved so that by the mid 1890’s aluminum was no longer very rare or valuable but it still commanded respect. It was a good looking durable metal that resisted corrosion and was easy to stamp or engrave. During the First World War it became a cheap coinage metal and much better for that purpose than the zinc alternative. Today’s collector tends to view aluminum coins and medals as cheap and not very collectible but as collectors we must view these old medals through the eyes of those who issued and wore them. To those people aluminum medals were usually in the form of veterans medals and historical commemoratives. The medals were good looking, light weight, new technology and economical. Best of all the medals like this rare 50 year commemoration cross for the battles of Dupel and Alsen were proudly worn.