VOCABULARY TERM: PARCEL-GILT
The E-Sylum (2/4/2024)
Book Content
VOCABULARY TERM: PARCEL-GILT
Here's another entry from Dick Johnson's Encyclopedia of Coin and Medal Terminology. I added an image of an ungilt version of the mentioned medal submitted by Dave Schenkman for an earlier article. Thanks again!Dave notes that "It is iron and not gilt, and I've never seen one that was gilt."-Editor
Parcel-gilt. Partly gilt; goldplated only on a part of a medallic item for the effect of a contrast of metals or their color. Parcel-gilt usually refers to objects that were originally firegilded - those that were only partially gilded in the first place, or were a part of this original gilding has worn off. Firegilding applied only a very thin layer of gold and this was susceptible to wearing away under many conditions (as being carried about or a container that abraded the piece). Parcel-gilt was applied to both base metal and precious metal items, often silver goldplate (vermeil); the contrast of silver sheen with a gold color, or both silver and gold on the same item was the effect their creator was trying to obtain.
In modern times an iron relic item was partially goldplated; the Deutschland Ballast Medal was struck in relic iron with an inner panel goldplated, leaving the wide rim the original iron color. This was described as parcel-gilt. However, by modern technology, such a process would be called stop-off. In contrast, two completely separate compositions in one medallic piece is called bimetallic.
To read the complete entry on the Newman Numismatic Portal, see:
Parcel-gilt(https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/dictionarydetail/516458)
To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
A RELIC MEDAL OF THE GERMAN SUBMARINE DEUTSCHLAND(https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v15n26a14.html)
