Lug. A projection at the top of a medallic item which is drilled or pierced to suspend the item from a ribbon, cord or chain. Often the lug is formed from a specially sunk cavity in the die and is an integral part of the struck piece. Lugs are indistinct in shape (in contrast, say, to a ball loop or barrel loop which are created to shape). See loop, suspension.

Medals possess the feature that they can be any shape. This Encyclopedia lists 67 of these shapes plus eleven with a possible number of sides (coins can appear in multisided shape, medals in more exotic shapes). Often the shape is significant to the theme of the medal.