The Lowdown on the Hardware

You rarely hear Nobel winners referred to as “medalists,” but more than 700 laureates have taken home the gold since the awards began in 1901. We put the pedal to the medal:

Weight--200 grams

Diameter--22 mm

Composition--18-karat green gold plated with 24-karat gold.

Physics and Chemistry--Engraved with the image of nature as a goddess bearing a cornucopia. A kneeling female figure, representing the Genius of Science, lifts a veil to reveal her face. Latin inscription translates as: “Inventions enhance life which is beautiful through art.” Flip side bears Alfred Nobel’s profile and the dates of his birth and death in Latin.

Physiology/Medicine--Engraved with a woman representing the Genius of Medicine, holding an open book beneath a fissured rock to collect water streaming down its side. Beside her, the figure of a sick girl waits to drink the water.

Literature--Bears the image of a young writer recording the teachings of a muse standing before him.

Peace--Three men join arms to represent a fraternal bond. Latin inscription translates to: “For the peace and brotherhood of men.”

Economics--Bears the North Star emblem of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Swedish inscription translates to, “The Bank of Sweden, in memory of Alfred Nobel, 1968.”