BAMS Struck Medal Award

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BAMS and medal manufacturer Thomas Fattorini came together in early 2015 to create an international award for struck medals. The BAMS Struck Medal Award takes the form of a medal struck in sterling silver bearing a posthumous portrait of Thomas Peter Fattorini by Ian Rank-Broadley. It is intended to encourage artists and designers around the world to engage with struck medals and to encourage mints, both private and public, to produce struck medals of high artistic quality.

Initially the award was made annually. In years in which a FIDEM exhibition was held, the award was made for the struck medal that was considered to be the most successful in that exhibition; in other years it was awarded for the work judged to be the most successful recently produced struck medal. In 2020 it was decided that the award should be made solely in those years in which there is a FIDEM exhibition. All the struck medals shown at each FIDEM exhibition are considered for the award.

The Award

  1. The BAMS Struck Medal Award is presented by the British Art Medal Society and Thomas Fattorini Ltd (“the organisers”). The award was initiated in 2015 in honour of Thomas Peter Fattorini (1932-2010).
  2. The award is intended to encourage artists and designers to engage with struck medals and to encourage mints, both private and public, to produce struck medals of high artistic quality and to celebrate the artists and designers who provide the models and designs.
  3. The award takes the form of a sterling silver medal 75 millimetres in diameter bearing, on one side, a portrait of Thomas P. Fattorini by Ian Rank-Broadley and, on the other, the British Art Medal Society logo.
  4. Production of the award medal and its case is undertaken by Thomas Fattorini Ltd.
  5. The award is made to the individual artist or designer of a struck medal judged to be the most successful in each FIDEM exhibition.
  6. The award is international in scope and is open to artists from all countries. The winning medal may have been struck by a mint in any country.
  7. The winning medal may either have resulted from a commission or have been produced on the initiative of the artist or the mint concerned. The winning artist is responsible for informing the commissioner or mint about the award.
  8. The winner may be an independent artist/designer or an employee of the mint striking the medal or of any other body.
  9. Each award medal is engraved with the words THE STRUCK MEDAL AWARD, the name of the winning artist, and the year. The mint striking the winning medal is acknowledged in all publicity.
  10. The winning artist and the mint striking the medal are permitted to use images of the award medal for publicity purposes.
  11. An award may not be presented if a suitable winner cannot be identified in any exhibition.

The process

  1. The judges are appointed before each exhibition by agreement between Thomas Fattorini Ltd and BAMS Council.
  2. The judging takes place at or immediately after each FIDEM exhibition and is confirmed by BAMS Council. The decision is final.
  3. BAMS informs the winning artist/designer.
  4. Fattorini liaises with the artist/designer concerning the wording of the engraved subscription and presentation of the medal.
  5. The award is advertised through BAMS and FIDEM, using those organisations’ websites and networks and The Medal journal.