Laser Cutting ~ Medals of Unsubstantiated Belief





























This project began with my disappointment (or perhaps even disgust) with President Trump. He has an ongoing propensity for saying outrageous, false, and misleading things.

In August 2020, he threatened to cut funding to the Postal Service in order to improve his chances of winning the upcoming election. And in that same week, he voiced support for a House Republican candidate who openly supports fringe conspiracy theories.

All of this got me thinking about what might happen. Perhaps Trump might privatize the United States Treasury and cede its control to the "Franklin Mint." Under previous administrations, a thought like this would never be taken seriously. But now, I'm not sure it stretches the bounds of improbability.

Although I'd hate to see a thing like that happen, it would be fairly awesome if the first series of coins the new agency were to mint resembled my "Medals of Unsubstantiated Belief" including:
  • Only 10% of Brain is Used
  • Arizona Vortex
  • Astrology
  • Bananadine
  • Bermuda Triangle
  • Bigfoot
  • Black Helicopters
  • Cell Phones Cause Cancer
  • Chemtrails
  • Climate Change Is A Hoax
  • Coronavirus Made In Lab
  • Crop Circles
  • ESP
  • Flat Earth
  • Fluoride is Poison
  • God
  • Kidney Heist
  • Living In A Simulation
  • Loch Ness Monster
  • Lucky Four-Leaf Clover
  • Moon Landing Faked
  • New World Order
  • Reptilian Rule
  • Rhino Horn Remedy
  • UFOs
  • Unlucky 13
  • Vaccines Cause Autism
  • Yeti
I have created both "standard" and "deluxe" versions of these medals. The "Standard" versions are made of black acrylic clad with etched brown anodized aluminum. The "Deluxe" versions are also made of black acrylic, but are clad with etched clear enameled brass. They measure approximately 1.25 inches in diameter and are approximately 3/16th inches thick. Both versions have embedded magnets so they will stick to iron-based metal surfaces.

Each set of medals comes in a commemorative case made of 1/4 inch black acrylic and anodized aluminum which measures approximately 8.5 inches square. The "Standard" version has a 1/8 inch thick grey top and the "Deluxe" version has a 1/4 inch thick black top. Both have brass hinges and a magnetic closure.