Newsletter 002 – The Real Cost of Bronze
The Real Cost of Bronze
Why heavy bronze medallions cost what they do
Originally published as part of the Hero Medallions Newsletter Series. Subscribers receive these insights first—on the day they’re released.
Over the past year, we’ve had a number of customers ask the same question:
“Why do bronze medallions cost what they do?”
It’s a fair question. When you look at a medallion installed on a monument, it may appear small — but what many people do not realize is the remarkable process and material required to create one correctly.
At Hero Medallions, every medallion begins with real bronze — a metal trusted for generations in memorials, monuments, and sculpture because of its beauty, strength, and permanence.
But bronze prices do not stay constant.
In recent years, the cost of copper and tin — the primary metals used to create bronze — has fluctuated significantly on the global market. When those prices rise, the cost of producing a high-quality bronze medallion rises with them.
And bronze is only the beginning.
Each medallion must also be:
• Precision sculpted and engraved
• Struck under hundreds of tons of pressure
• Carefully hand finished
• Filled with baked-on enamel colors
• Sealed with a heavy-duty clear coat to help preserve its appearance
The result is a medallion designed to last for generations.
When families visit a monument years from now, the medallion should still be there — honoring a life, a service, a passion, or a legacy.
That is why we insist on producing medallions the right way.
We recently published a short article explaining more about how bronze pricing works and why it affects the memorial industry.
Thank you for allowing Hero Medallions to play a small part in the stories you help families tell.
Warm regards,
Brad Wardle
Kahuna, Hero Medallions
A monument shows where someone rests, a Medallion shows who they were.
Originally published as part of the Hero Medallions Newsletter Series. Subscribers receive these insights first—on the day they’re released.
Newsletter 002 – The Real Cost of Bronze
Why bronze medallions cost what they do
We’ve had many customers ask:
“Why do bronze medallions cost what they do?”
It’s a fair question. A medallion may look small, but the process behind it is anything but simple.
Each piece begins with real bronze—a material trusted for generations for its strength and permanence.
But bronze prices fluctuate. Copper and tin costs rise and fall, directly impacting production.
And that’s just the beginning.
Each medallion is:
• Sculpted and engraved
• Struck under extreme pressure
• Hand finished
• Color-filled with enamel
• Protected with a clear coat
The result is something designed to last for generations.
— Brad Wardle
A monument shows where someone rests,
a Medallion shows who they were.