Gold medal

:This article is about gold medals as awards or prizes. There is also an article on Gold Medal, an album by The Donnas.

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A gold medal will generally represent the highest award for achievement in a non-military field, with no restriction on eligibility. The concept comes from the military, initially with a simple recognition of military rank, and later decorations for admission to military orders dating back to medieval times. Since at least the 18th Century, gold medals have been awarded in the arts (for example by the Royal Danish Academy), usually as a symbol of a financial award to give an outstanding student some freedom. Others offer only the prestige of the award. Many organizations now award gold medals either annually or extraordinarily including UNESCO and various academic societies.

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