Medal US Signs of the Zodiac (Franklin Mint Treasury)

These are very pretty medals with lots of artistry and tons of appeal to many people. They come in a set of 12 medals from The Franklin Mint, a famous producer of medallic artwork. As with all Franklin Mint products, the design and craftsmanship are superb. These were made during the 1960s.

These medals come in both sterling silver (92.5 percent pure) and bronze. There are several sizes, finishes, and packages, including medals that weigh about 25 grams and 15 grams, frosty proofs, different kinds of albums, and even a stamped 'enclosed' medal in a post card. The artistry comes from Gilroy Roberts, chief engraver at the US mint and sculptor of the famous Kennedy half dollar.

Placing values on these medals is somewhat difficult. The value of each medal has four components:

- the Base Value (BV) of the precious metal (silver)
- the value due to artistic appeal and subject matter
- the value due to packaging and presentation
- the negative value due to possible damage (spots, stains, discoloration, etc.)

Only the Base Value (BV) is readily computed. If you have a bronze medal, the BV is zero. For silver medals, BV is more complicated. Since the medals were issued with different weights, you must first weigh your medal. Take it to a jeweler and have it weighed without packaging to the nearest 0.1 gram. Let's say, for example, your medal weighs 26.1 grams. You must now find the amount of silver in the medal in troy ounces. First multiply the weight by 0.925 to account for silver purity, then divide by 31.1 to convert from grams to troy ounces. In our example, the medal contains 26.1 x 0.925 / 31.1 = 0.776 troy ounces of silver. At today's silver price of $14.85 US dollars per troy ounce, that is $11.52 US dollars worth of silver, so BV = $11.52. But tomorrow the price of silver will be different, so be sure to look it up (e.g., at at kitco.com).

Once you have the BV (zero for bronze, non-zero for silver), add in your personal estimate of the value due to artistry and packaging. You must also subtract value if your medal is damaged or discolored. For me, I'd add about $5 total for an undamaged specimen, so a 26.1 gram silver medal would be worth about $11.52 + $5 = $16.52.

Note that if you take your medal to a coin dealer and try to sell it to him or her, expect to get offers of about 5- cents for a bronze medal and BV for an undamaged silver medal.
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