"Youth - War and Sacrifice" by Miko Kaufman

Youth - War and Sacrifice 1973
by Miko Kaufman
SOM-87.1
Smooth golden bronze with light tan patina
SOM-87.2
Silver

This design by Miko Kaufman was chosen as the 87th issue of the prestigious Society of Medalists series. The medal's obverse bears a guitar playing youth with long hair. The reverse bears a soldier in uniform bearing a fallen or wounded comrade on his shoulder.

This medal uses the two sides to highlight the split that ran deep through American society in the 1970's. The Vietnam war had polarized society and alternative culture, symbolized by the guitar-playing youth on the obverse, was at odds with mainstream culture, symbolized by the soldier rescuing a wounded comrade on the reverse.

Kaufman wrote in the brochure that accompanied the medal:

"As a whole, this artist's timely message and reminder to those who care to reflect, as we are pulling out of the Vietnam morass, that all our knowledge and philosophy has yet to help tame mankind's worst enemy—man, himself."

The medal measures 73mm in diameter and was produced by the Medallic Art Company of New York. Its reported mintage is 1,700 pieces in bronze and 175 in silver. This was the first new issue for which both bronze and silver medals were offered.

SOM-87.1
Bronze
73.0mm (2.87in)
Smooth golden bronze with light tan patina
THE SOCIETY OF MEDALISTS 87TH ISSUE - APRIL 1973 MICO KAUFMAN, SC.(C)
MEDALLIC ART CO.N.Y. BRONZE
SOM-87.2
Silver
73.0mm (2.87in)
THE SOCIETY OF MEDALISTS 87TH ISSUE - APRIL 1973 MICO KAUFMAN, SC.(C)
MEDALLIC ART CO.N.Y. .999+ PURE SILVER