MCA Meeting at the ANA World's Fair of Money

The MCA general meeting to be held in conjunction with the World's Fair of Money will take place on August 8. John Sallay will present on "The Emergence of School Award Medals".

We are all familiar with medals awarded for academic performance, leadership, and other notable achievements in school, and a few of us even received one or two in high school or college. But where did this idea come from, and how have the concept and the medals themselves evolved over the past few hundred years?

At this year's MCA meeting at the ANA convention in August, John Sallay will talk about the emergence of the school award medal, starting with German school medals of the mid-16th century, especially the Altdorf Academy medals, through Europe in the 17th century, to Britain in the 18th century, then America in the 18th and early-19th centuries.

John Sallay is a retired private equity investor, investment banker, and corporate executive, who lives in the Boston area. He joined the ANA in 1971, and while studying at MIT, transitioned from collecting U.S. type coins to medals, ultimately concentrating on school award medals. His collection now includes several thousand pieces, from the 16th century to the present, from all over the world. He has authored numerous articles, and served as president and board member of the Medal Collectors of America.

The meeting is open to the public. Plan on joining us at the meeting for what promises to be a very informative event.