COLLECTING ANTIQUE & VINTAGE ALUMINIUM CATHOLIC MEDALS

One might think all too soon: " ...they are worthless... "

Also what I said when I encountered them in lots I bought on flee markets. Finally they arrived in a storage box somewhere with the rest.
As I ran into them lately I realized they are great actually. Some even very rare. My interest started to grow.
Now I am not collecting only silver, gold, silvered or other noble metal minting, but also these fantastic antique & vintage
aluminium medals.
By sharing this unespected new insight in collecting catholic medals, I wished to resell all my doubles in auction on eBay as well
as to share some personal reflections about what I think might occure in collecting trends soon.

Here it comes with first a very short introduction ...

Aluminium is earth's most common element, but paradoxaly it does not exist naturaly as such. 
In 1787, scientists were aware of the existence of this mysterious element, but did not know how to isolate it.
The Danisch scientist Hans Christian Oersted was the first in 1825 who was able to extract this element.
By 1845 aluminium could be produced in larger quantity, thanks to the German scientist Friedrich Wöhler.
Commercial production began in 1854 with the French Henri Étienne Sainte-Claire Deville.
Yet too expensive, industrial production truely began in 1888, with less expensive & more productive ways to
extract aluminium.

Victim of its own succes, prices of aluminium chrashed. And it found an application for many items.
It also came to be used during bad economical times for coinage and medal minting.
Thanks to the low costs, many smaller villages could afford to mint their own venerated saint.
No need to explain that these village mintings came in small numbers,
what means that some medals really are to scarce in number for world market.

Noble metal minting are generally produced in greater numbers and are more common.
Usually used for more general venerated saints, produced by greater pelgrimage ressorts, ordered for bigger cities, ...
Indeed they are more appealing when worn then aluminium medals. Greater artists are produced in more noble metals, indeed ofcourse.

All and a lot more to tell surplus qualities that noble metal minting offer against the less noble aluminium.

This might be why aluminium has his own unique perspective versus silver & gold minting qualities.
Aluminium medals offer a greater variaty of minted saints. Some even very scarce to find.As aluminium is already paradoxal in its very own existance, it is even quite paradoxal with its qualities (might I say)!
Aluminium is quite resistant, and allows alloy melting. Since 1854 are first aluminium medals mint.
It gives us an advantage knowing they can't be much older. Older more cheap catholic medal minting was brass & bronze.
Aluminium took over and a large quantity of medals were produced in many languages in many different villages in Europe.
Aluminium was even used in art medal minting schools, for practising the minting art. First minting essais where often made from aluminium, even from debuting great artists. As it is used since 1854, very old design-model of saint medals are yet to found while non-existing in noble metal minting.

Imagine you can present a series of a unique and very scarce antique medal collection you can't find anywhere in the world ! Isn't it amazing?
By telling you this, I am literally telling you about my big project; World's biggest aluminium antique catholic medals collection.
 must admit a truely pasionating hobby that became a goal. I'm using eBay to resell my doubles so I can buy the ones I'm still missing. 

It becomes more and more difficult finding these silver, gold, silvered, bronze or brass catholic medals
on antique flee markets in Europe. Prices will sky-rock in few years. On flee markets prices already at least doubled in two years.
Sellers on flee markets have harder times getting to these medals then some years ago and they become more and more aware of their value
on the world-market that offers internet as well. The direct effect is that start prices for auctions are higher.  

 A greater market value for aluminium medals is to be expected very soon, especially for the religious medals.

Thank you for reading this guide !

May God Bless you and your loved ones.