About the Medals
The North Carolina Award medals were designed by the sculptor Paul Manship, one of his last commissions before his death. They are 2 ¾ inches in diameter and are intended to be worn on a ribbon around the neck. Between 1964 and 1973, the medals were made of fourteen karat gold. From 1974 until 1979, the medals were ten karat gold. Today they are gold-plated silver medals.
Biographical Profile of Paul Manship, from the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
