Should we have two sides for the medal or just one

[mkisthebest]

Now that we are doing so well on the donations (Update #5: $9,600 plus), how many of us want to have two sides for the medal? The following are FYI.....

Assuming that the medal is 3 inches in diam. and silver-based, according to the results of previous polls, and assuming we are using NWTM or someone similar for the medal base, thanks to the hardworks of Splits, here is a breakdown of the costs involved:

1. For a simple flat design or "3-D coining die" before plating:

Front-side base w/ 3-D die: $850-950
Striking cost for front side: $50

Back-side base w/ 3-D die: $850-950
Or Back side w/ stock inscriptions: $400-600
Striking cost for back side: $50

2. For a sculpted-image design before plating:

Front-side base w/ sculpted image: $1200-1500
Striking cost for front side: $50

Back-side base w/ sculpted image: $1200-1500
Or Back side w/ stock inscriptions: $400-600
Striking cost for back side: $50

3. Plating costs:
Platinum plating for front w/ or w/o 3-D back: $100
Add. Platinum plating for sculpted back: $150
Optional gold plating: $20

[justsk8]

Okay, before I vote, what is the difference between sculpted and 3-D?

Also, I did put work into posting a variety of polls regarding the medal, but also much thanks to skatingfan(5?) for the many calls to NWTM. :)

This project is going to be great! I can't wait to finish it! :)

[mkisthebest]

:p I made a mistake on my last post where I made reference to "Splits' researches"; whereas it should have been "Skatingfan5's" for she is the one contacting NWTM and Artisan and after all the works that she has done for us, I should have done a better job in getting the name right; I am truly sorry.:p I might have mixed up the user names when I printed out their posts and did not realize it until Splits pointed it out in her post. Thanks Splits.:)

Regarding the difference between the sculpted image and 3-D die, according to what I can gathered from "Skatingfan5's research, the sculpted-image process produces a raised surface which allows much more details, thus better image; while 3-D coining die is the simplest process works well for a simple design with flatter surface. Therefore, the sculpted image process will be much more costly than 3-D.

Skatingfan5 also listed an example of the sculpted image as the California State seal coin on the NWTM site, so you can check it out there! Thanks for your vote!:)

[mkisthebest]

Thanks Splits,

Skatingfan5 also listed an example of the sculpted image as the California State seal coin on the NWTM site, so you can check it out there! Thanks for your vote!

[iloveskating]

I voted, but I am a little confused about the costs. The most expensive option is $3000, but I thought the medal would cost a lot more than that. Am I just confused or are there other costs not included in this?

[mkisthebest]

Dear iloveskating, you are right, after plating, the medal will cost up to $2,750-$3,350, I did not make that clear in my voting options, so let me do a better job this time. But rest assure, this is as expensive as it goes for a platinum-plated silver medal before any other jewels or crystals are added if desired.

I am using the cost information from Skatingfan5's 3/25/02 report on her researches of NWTM and Artisan Plating. In her report, if we have the silver base produced at NWTM, NWTM can do a <!--EZCODE BOLD START--> RTHODIUM<!--EZCODE BOLD END-->-plating (platinum group) for $100, and selective GOLD-plating for $20; or we can go with a second company, Artisan Plating, which can do <!--EZCODE BOLD START--> PLATINUM<!--EZCODE BOLD END-->-plating for additional $150, or $250 in total.

Coming back to the base, NWTM is producing the silver base by utilizes three types of processes to "mold" the surface of the medal; they are as followed:
(1) sculpted image, $1,200-$1,500 each side
(2) 3-D coining die, $850-$950 each side
(3) stock borders with inscriptions but no design allowed (mainly for the back side), $400-$600 each side

So we can have the following combo for (front) + (back):
(1) + (1), costs $2,500-$3,100 -- Voting Option #1,
or (1) + (2), costs $2,150-$2,550 -- Option #2,
or (1) + (3), costs $1,700-$2,200 -- Option #3,
or (2) + (2), costs $1,800-$2,000,
or (2) + (3), costs $1,350-$1,650 -- Options #4,
or just (1) for one-sided, costs $1,250-1,550 -- Option #5.

So depends on which company we go with, you can add the plating cost of $100 or $250 to the base cost.

As an example, at the end of Skatingfan5's report, she stated that:
<!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote>Quote:<hr> "The cost of the medal is likely to be about $1,800-$2,300 if we have a sculpted image on one side with just an inscription with a border on the back....add another $400 or so (for a 3-D coining die image). To have it platinum plated would cost an additional $150."<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END-->

She was talking about a base with the combo of (1) + (3) with rhodium plating, or add $400 or so to have combo (1) + (2) with rhodium plating at NWTM.

A side note, I did not include combo (2) + (2) for voting because it is very similar to (2) + (3) cost-wise and I need to make room for the one-sided option#5.

Feel free to ask more questions if it is still not clear, I am open to any correction or suggestion because we are working this out together, thanks for your questions.

[skatingfan5]

First of all, thank you mkisthebest, for putting this poll together. You went to a lot of work to outline all the various combinations of choices possible for the medal. It's good to see that most who have voted so far are willing for us to include all possible options. However, I think that the main decision that needs to be made (because it was the one that most affected the voting for medal designs) was whether the medal would be one- or two-sided. Once the decision is made to go with one or the other of these two options, the difference in costs is not huge (somewhere in the range of $800 or so) -- this is because I think that nearly all of the designs submitted for the medal would likely require the 'sculpted image' method to reproduce, so I was operating under the assumption that at least one side of the medal would be using this method. Perhaps one or two of the simpler, more stylized drawings could be done with the 3-D coining die, but it was my impression from discussion with NWTM that this method was best suited to fairly simple line-drawing -- i.e., things like logos, rather than images that had much depth or detail. I can have NWTM take a look at the various medal designs to make sure that this is correct.

Also, I think I mentioned in earlier posts that usually the NWTM designers do some reworking of submitted designs to make sure that they can be executed well in the coining process. So the final designs we vote on may not be the actual finished design. NWTM will send back their reworkings and we can either approve or request changes to be made to this before final approval. Also, I don't think that it is possible to platinum (or gold-) plate only one side of the medal -- the prices quoted are for the plating process for the entire medal. NWTM does selective gold-plating, but they do the entire medal (both sides) at one time. Finally, I think that the final designs that are chosen by our voting will determine the method to be used, and not vice versa. That is to say, if the top choice in this poll is a two-sided medal with sculpted design on both sides, I hope that would mean that we have the widest possible options open to us -- up to this most expensive choice. However, the design elements that work best (and that we choose) may not require this much, but it will be good to know what our allowable $$ limits for the medal are. The prices quote by NWTM were all given as estimates and $ ranges to give us a ballpark idea of how much things would cost; they were not precise quotations.

[justsk8]

I voted for sculpted front and inscripted back. I don't think we really need an image on the back, and we could also add some jewels or something to the front (I think that would be really pretty if done tastefully!) and not spend a ridiculous amount of money just because we have it but instead put it to better use by donating it. Now don't get me wrong, I want an awesome medal for Michelle, but this is just my opinion. Whatever we decide I'm sure will be great! :)

[eRayOnEz]

I'm with Splits... I think that is a great common-sense approach (sculpted front, inscription on the back).

[mkjsdp]

I second that. Image on the front, inscription on the back. Keep it simple, yet beautiful. The back probably won't be seen much anyway.

[mkisthebest]

Thanks skatingfan5 for your input and ITA that we should decide two or one side first, the only reason that I listed five options here was because when I started the poll, there were five spaces for voting options so I came up with the idea of listing these five combo with their costs to help voters make their decision. I was hoping to show the difference on costs between two or one side with different process. This is my first poll, so there are bound to be some mistakes, and I am in the process of editing my original post to make it, so feel free to give me more inputs.

I was secretly hoping that MK could have the medal before her birthday, but I understand now that voting and group discussion takes a lot of time and it is the right thing to do to get it right, and with each vote, we are one step closer.

[SusanaDalia]

I voted for the sculpted on the front, and scripted on the back. My reason for doing so is that Michelle could have a great inscription from her fans to read from time to time and remember us by when she looks at the medal. I would like to see if the front sculpted image can be two-toned like one of the design submissions showed? Just curious that's all, maybe this question has already been answered.

[mkisthebest]

Susana, as far as the two-toned plating goes, here is the portion of Skatingfan5's report which may shed lights on your question, but I believe that we won't know for sure what can be achieved until we submit our final design to, say NWTM, and have their designers look at it and re-develop it to be workable for the medal striking process:<!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote>Quote:<hr> "NWTM...can do selective (or total) gold plating afterward for about $20 (for a medal that is 3 inches in diameter)....it seems that it WILL be possible for us to have the medal made by NWTM (with or without gold plating) and then to have it platinum plated elsewhere (e.g. Artisan Plating).<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END-->

[Kwanisgreat]

MKISTHEBEST, does the options with "inscribed back" mean only "stock inscriptions from NWTM" so the choices of wordings are limited and does it allow any image or design?

Thanks for doing the poll.

[mkisthebest]

Hi, Kwanisgreat, regarding options 3