Medal maker Tony Dean crafts award honouring modern Australian farming
Tony Dean designed the inaugural Australian Agriculture Awards medals, combining traditional farming with drones and modern technology.
Tony Dean owns Medal Art Mint on NSW's far south coast. He has 30 years of minting expertise.
He previously worked at the Royal Australian Mint and Perth Mint as a designer and engraver. For the inaugural agricultural award, Dean designed a medal showing core farming elements: crops, grain, livestock, and modern machinery.
The design also included a drone to represent modern farming techniques. Latitude-longitude lines symbolize agricultural exports.
Dean sculpted the design digitally on a tablet using special software. It was then machined into steel to create a master for stamping.
The medals are made from pure copper. State-level awards are silver-plated and national awards are gold-plated.
- NSW far south coast
- Dean's location
- 30 years
- Minting experience
- About 7 years in Eltham, Melbourne
- Apprenticeship duration
- Pure copper
- Medal material
Why it mattersThe medal design shows how farming has changed. It blends old knowledge with new technology.
AustraliaAustralian farmers now have an award that reflects what modern agriculture actually looks like.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 10 d ago
