For the unthanked: My first medallions.

So, a few weeks ago I was at Steppes Artisan, displaying my full medallion shop, answering questions, and even working on an upcoming piece. I had my complete shop  there, as well as all of the past medallion models I had cast from. The format of Artisan being what it is, the whole day is spent talking to people, some of whom are judges, and others are just interested bystanders. 

One of the people who sat down to talk to be was Mistress Ælfwyn. We'd known each other from years before, though walked very different paths. She'd sat down at my shop and we'd spoken for just a few moments socially before she asked me a very interesting question. 

Tell me, which one of these are you the most proud of?

I sat there for a long moment, considering my answer. Honestly, it was probably longer than Ælfwyn has expected, too. Most artists probably have at least good idea of their best work, especially when they have all of their examples right there in front of them. 

Then I did something that I knew was not the answer Ælfwyn expected. 

I leaned over and pointed at a disk of pewter thick enough to double as armor, with stamped letters, and what could generously be called a heraldic trumpet on one side. I pointed at it and said "this one".

My first 2 medallions, January 2020. 

Ælfwyn didn't say anything, but the raised eyebrows and wide eyes told the tale. Of all the medallions or models on my table, this was arguably the least well made, involved the least skill, and was the least detailed. 

And yes, that was also my first cast medallion.

But still, I meant exactly what I said. That medallion was the one I was the most proud of. 

"Why?" you might ask. 

"Why" starts fifteen years ago. Before lockdown voice heralds in this kingdom were, to be polite about it, needed, and then forgotten. Awards were sparce, recognition was scare, and at least in the north of Ansteorra, leadership was almost nonexistent. New heralds worked themselves to exhaustion, and many times the gratitude was quiet, and late. I had campaigned for years to change all of that, but some things were just too resistant to change.

Shifting my efforts, I wanted to try and do something on my own so that I could help make my fellow voice heralds feel special, seen, part of the 'cool kid's club'. 

After a year of reading, brainstorming, and watching way too many YouTube videos, I finally settled on making a set of custom medallions. They would be substantial, shiny, and real. They would be something physical that people could show off and be proud of having in their pocket.

And when I did actually make them and give them out, there were so, so many really magical moments. There was an almost indescribable sense of joy on each face when they got one. When one of those heavy medallions hit their palm, their eyes would go wide, and their jaws would fall open. For a brief moment, despite the fact that these had no material value, they conveyed no rank, and they had no effect on prestige,  the emotional weight of receiving an 'Ivo coin" was enough to make some of the next generations of northern voice heralds feel not only special, but important. 

None of my later works have done that. None of them have offered that 'lightning bolt' level of good will and blessing that those first medallions did. I can make all the pretty lines, and cool shapes I want with my coins. And trust me, I plan to. I fully intent to continue to refine my work towards the end of being a master medalist. 

But I don't ever want to forget why I started down this path. 

I started making medallions in order to make other peoples' SCA game better. And now I make them so others can take them and make more people's SCA game better. Behind all the documentation, all the technique, all the hours of headache inducing notes, and half-finished pages of documentation sits one simple, bright shining point of truth:

I want to help others feel good about what they are doing in the SCA. 

And that is why my first medallions are the ones I am most proud of.