(Info taken from nbcolympics.com and engadget.com)
Last Thursday the gold, silver and bronze medals were displayed by British Columbia Premier Godron Campbell. The circular medals will weigh 1.1 to 1.3 pounds - the heaviest in Olympic and Paralympic history. The medals are based on two large artworks of an orca whale and raven by Canadian designer Corrine Hunt.
The medal designs took lots of collaboration, including work from Hunt, industrial designer Omer Arbel, the Royal Canadian Mint, Teck Resources Limited, and VANOC’s in-house design team.
The Paralympic medal is a squared circle shape with the raven as the motif. The black wings and profile appear in a three-part composition in the style of a totem pole. The raven was used as a symbol of transformation and healing abilities. The raven also serves as a representation of determination, creativity and wisdom.
Each medal is struck nine times to achieve the distinctive look as part of the 30-step medal fabrication process.
The Royal Canadian Mint will produce 615 Olympic and 399 Paralympic medals for the 2010 Winter Games at their headquarters in Ottawa, Ontario.
Ore for the metals came from mines in Canada, Alaska and Chile. The medals' undulating surfaces represent the sea and mountains of Canada's west coast.
Engadget.com had even more information on these unique medals:
“They also contain a few surprises that aren't immediately apparent -- namely, they're all made at least partly from recycled circuit boards. Of course, the circuit boards have also been recycled beyond recognition, but each of the medals do apparently sport a one of a kind design. Sure, it's not enough to make a dent in the e-waste problem, but it's a heckuva way to kick start a trend.”
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