Special awards and medals are often made of gold as gold has represented special significance for thousands of years. When an individual wins a gold medal, trophy, or award, it is considered one of the highest levels of achievement and rank. Sovereign Crowns, Diadems and Royal Girdles (Belts): Greek mythology tells us of the story of King Midas who was popular because everything he touched turned to gold. After he turned his daughter to gold, he wished for a little more balance in life.
For ages, Royals have used gold to reflect their glory, honour, victory, and title. Since ancient times headgear and belts of many shapes, sometimes made from pure gold, have signified the nobility and hierarchical status of kingdoms. Royal belts were utilitarian and ceremonial. Some had tweezer-like tools, knives and other apparatus used for medicine, teas or tools for archery and protection. Pharaohs, monarchs, Emperors, and the dynasties of kings have used gold as a symbol to signify entitlement and wealth.
The seat of one of the earliest kingdoms of ancient Africa and Nubia came under Egyptian control and became a center for trade and the main source of gold for the continent and the Middle East. Some historians believe the name "Nubia" is derived from an Egyptian word for gold. The Turin Papyrus Map found during a tomb excavation located in Luxor's West Bank, the Valley of Kings (also known as the Gates of the Valley of Kings) is accepted as created by a scribe of Ramses IV. It is the oldest known geological map of a gold mine. The map is interpreted to reflect the houses of the gold working settlement, the mountains of gold, the mountains where gold is washed and the roads that leads to the city and sea.
Songs have been written about him and museums have long lines waiting to see him. Born in 1341 BC, teen Egyptian Pharaoh. Prince Tutankhaten (Tutankamun), also known as King Nebkheperure, is known around the world as King Tut. His burial tomb, discovered in 1922 had over 3,00O items, many of them inlaid with, or made from sheets of gold. His death mask is two feet tall and is made of two sheets of gold encrusted with semiprecious stones. Two of his three coffins are covered with gold foil. The reveal of his third coffin, containing his person, is magnificent to behold, and made of solid gold.
Arab travellers recorded that between the 9th and 11th centuries, the kingdom of Ghana was so rich in gold that its dogs wore gold collars. Currently. Gold still accounts for 90% of its total mineral export and continues to be one of Africa’s largest gold producer. In 2017, “Ghana’s annual gold revenues rose to $3.52 billion”.
Religious Items: For thousands of years, religions around the world have fashioned religious ceremonial items, furniture, building implements and art from some form of gold, all to glorify the God of the heaven lies beyond the Earth. Currently, some of these groups also hold gold reserves in value over $20 million U.S. dollars.
Grammy Award (originally called Gramophone Award): For 43 years, in a Colorado studio, Billings Artworks, the true "man of the hour" for the Grammys is John Billings. "The Grammy man", who is the annual master of over 300 coveted golden gramophone statues to be awarded to musicians being recognized for their achievements and legendary milestone success. Billings learned the craft from California award and original Grammy maker Bob Graves. After a long apprenticeship, Graves asked Billings to take over the company and at his death. Billings bought the company making his own mark by creating proprietary molds. The 24-karat gold plated trophies overlay an aluminium-zinc alloy trademarked by Billings as "grammium". This new metal formula made the once know fragile Grammy stronger and more durable.
The Academy Awards - The Oscars: At 13.5 inches tall, the Academy Award of Merit, Oscar is a big "man". With the first being awarded in 1929, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has given over 3.000 to actors, directors, producers, technicians, and writers. Because of shortage of metals, Oscar was made of painted plaster, but after the War, recipients could redeem for a gold-plated metal one. Today, the art deco style Oscar is cast bronze and electroplated with 24-karat gold. It takes 3 months to produce so statues.
Emmy Award: At 15.5 inches tall, Emmy is statuesque! Primarily modeled after the wife of a television engineer, the winged woman holding an atom is always facing left, and is handcrafted of copper, nickel, silver and electroplated in 24-karat gold. The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences awards the Regional Emmy to those who have achievements in daytime entertainment, news & documentary, community service, sports and technology, and engineering throughout 19 regions across the United States. The Primetime Emmy Award is awarded to those recognized for television industry excellence and creative leadership for artistic, educational and technical achievements.
The Golden Globe: The award concept was created in 1943 by a group of writers who formed The Hollywood Foreign Press Association. The award is given as a recognition of excellence in domestic and foreign television and film. A lawyer and electronic engineers handcraft the Golden Globes from a workshop in Oklahoma. Society awards, founded by David Moritz, went to New York for law school but saw a need for high-end awards. The Golden Globe base is made of hand cut and polished eastern European marble and the globe is hand finished zinc and covered in electroplated gold. Beginning in 2019 the Globe will be made of brass, zinc, and bronze and the final finish will be 24-karat brushed gold.
Olympic Medals: Until 1912, Olympic Gold medals were made from solid Gold. Today, the 3mm thick, 60mm diameter medals are made mostly of silver but are required to be plated with 6 grams of gold. The 2016 Rio Summer Olympics used metals free of mercury.
Congressional Gold Medals: Made from 90 percent gold content, the Continental Congress and the United States Congress has commissioned medals since the American Revolution and awards them to individuals or institutions known for achievements and contributions to American society. The medal is designed by the United States Mint and is unique to each recipient or group. The youngest recipient to date was given to an 11- year old for rescuing five of his playmates in 1941 who had fallen through the ice of frozen Lake Champlain. The medal is classified as the Congressional Life Saving Medal.
Nobel Peace Prize: Before 1980 the Nobel Peace Prize was made from 23- karat gold. The 66 mm medals are now 18-karat "green" gold and plated with 24-karat. Named after the industrialist Alfred Nobel, the prize has been awarded since 1901. The chemical engineer, inventor, and armaments manufacturer never gave an explanation of why he chose peace as his choice for an award. However, it is believed that after having made millions from his invention of dynamite, thinking it would end all wars. Nobel realized the damage it caused and would continue to cause mankind. To amend this wrong, his last will and testament stipulated "to constitute a fund, the interest on which is to be distributed annually as prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind". Including the abolition or reduction of armies today, hundreds of individuals and many organizations have received the award (known as laureates) Notable awards range from the discovery of x-rays, to civil rights. The youngest Nobel Peace Prize recipient to date was aged 17 and the oldest age 96.