One of the great pleasures of travelling is reminiscing about past trips while you anticipate future journeys. However, sometimes we’ve been so many places, our brains need a little jogging from time to time. That’s where a carefully-chosen souvenir can be really useful in helping us recall certain details which might otherwise be lost forever.

Customized medals: a long and rich history

The first customized medals

were about rewarding bravery or loyalty and were typically handed out to political supporters. This tradition became especially widespread in Renaissance Europe. It wasn’t until much later that the tourist industry realized that there was a market for this kind of product amongst the large numbers of people who were now able to travel for the first time, thanks to a combination of paid annual leave, better wages and improved transportation. Many medals produced were – and still are – manufactured in very large number in cheap metals, and are better described as tokens, rather than medals. However, there are also many customized medals which are made using much more sophisticated machinery and more expensive materials.

Tailor-made medals make ideal tourist souvenirs

The bigger tourist attractions and destinations often have a wide range of customized medals available, from the relatively cheap to the much more pricey. The difference in price can often be accounted for by the metal being used – obviously gold-plated or gold or silver medals will be much more expensive than bronze or brass ones. The addition of effects such as colour, antique style patinas or finishes, special polishes and the like all have an impact on cost too. Tourist medals can depict virtually anything – landscapes, city skylines, famous local sons and daughters, specific attractions, local arts, crafts or culinary specialities, coats of arms or important past or future events. Most importantly, they can be beautiful, durable and highly portable reminders of places that gave you much pleasure in the past.