Your request for information on Achievement Medals has already been done. In fact there are several books on the subject. Instead of listing the recipients for you I will list the books that contain these.

Needless to say, one firm dominated the creation of these medals in America in the 20th and now the 21st century: obviously Medallic Art Company. You are correct these medals do come on the market, generally after a generation or two's time. It seems a parent's medals are esteemed and kept within the family but a grandparent's medals are often disposed.

This list of books can be found in my medalblog article on awards: Medal Award Programs  Require Better Management(medalblog.wordpress.com/2010/11/29/medal-award
-programs-%e2%80%a8require-better-management/)

Awards, Award Medals and Recipients

{1956} Brook (Herbert) The Blue Book of Awards. Chicago: Marquis�Who's Who, 186 pages.

{1969} Gale Research Company. Awards, Honors and Prizes. Detroit: Gale Research Company.Volume 1 (American) 16 editions through 2000.

{1969} Gale Research Company. World of Winners; International. Detroit: Gale Research Co.Volume 2 (Foreign):

{1977} Stuart (Sandra Lee) Who Won What When; the Record Book of Winners. Secaucus, NJ:Lyle Stuart Inc. 488 pages.

{1978} Walter (Claire) The Book of Winners. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. 731 pages.Published & copyrighted by Facts on File.

{1979} Europa. World Dictionary of Awards and Prizes. London: Europa. 386 pages.

{1988} Gregory (Gregory W.) Awards & Decorations of U.S. State Military Forces.Vandenberg AFB, CA: Patriot Press. 530 pages.

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:OBAMA AWARDS NATIONAL MEDALS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY(www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v14n41a23.html)

Dick adds: