The ancient Athenial Owl tetradrachm has been honored as well in modern times by makers of exonumia -- medals, tokens, and commemorative coins. All or part of the Owl design has been featured on many interesting pieces over the years, with those below being just a small sampling. They''re from six different continents -- Europe, North America, South America, Australia, Asia, and Africa -- in gold, silver, bronze, and pewter.

The difference between a medal and a token is slight. Both are coin-like devices typically made by nongovernmental organizations. Tokens are more commercial, used in place of money or as promotion and may or may not have a face value. Medals commemorate, typically a famous person or historical event, and have no face value. A commemorative coin is a product of a government and has face value but typically doesn''t circulate and is made for sale to collectors.

UNESCO 1978 commemorative bronze medal (116.0g, 59mm). This large bronze medal features on the obverse a portrait of Aristotle (384-322 BC) based on a sculpture in the Kunsthistoriches Museum in Vienna, along with the legend ARISTOTELIS (Aristotle) in Greek letters. The reverse depicts an owl from the ancient Athenian Owl, a map of Greece with a star referring to the location of Stagiros in Macedonia, which was Aristotle''s birthplace, and a quote from Aristotle that translates into "The energy of the mind is the essence of life." The medal was minted to commemorate the the 2300th anniversary of the Greek philosopher''s death in conjunction with a 1978 UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) conference in Paris, where the UN agency has its headquarters. It was designed by Max Léognany, whose last name appears under Aristotle''s neck, and cast by the Paris Mint in gold and silver as well as bronze. The medal is beautifully toned but low relief in comparison to most medals. The same portrait of Aristotle on the obverse of this medal was used on the reverse of Greek 5 drachmas coins minted from 1976 to 2000.

World Almanac 1968 centennial anniversary medal (35.0g, 38mm). This .999 silver medal was made by the Medallic Art Company for the Newspaper Enterprise Association, publisher at the time of the World Almanac. The obverse of this beautifully crafted medal depicts a map of the world by sinusoidal projection, an open book, and the inscription, "THE AUTHORITY FOR 100 YEARS/THE WORLD ALMANAC/1868-1968." The reverse depicts a Classical Owl and a lamp of knowledge. Two edge inscriptions, not visible in this photo, read, "Medallic Art Company" and ".999+ Pure Silver." The World Almanac was first published in 1868 by the New York World newspaper, then later by Joseph Pulitzer. In 1894 its name changed to The World Almanac and Encyclopedia and then in 1923 to its current name, The World Almanac and Book of Facts. It''s currently published by Reader''s Digest.

Tasmanian Teachers Credit Union 1988 medal (19.8g, 38mm). This bronze medal was issued to commemorate the Australian Bicentennial in 1988. The Tasmanian Teachers Credit Union sponsored the Money Room of the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, which houses a genuine Owl tetradrachm. The ancient Athenian Owl design was chosen, according to a spokesperson at the museum, because of its historical interest and symbolism. The obverse playfully depicts a modern rendition of this ancient symbol of wisdom. Tasmania is a state of Australia and consists of the island of Tasmania and other surrounding islands south of the Australian mainland. The Tasmanian Devil is a carnivorous marsupial the size of a small dog found exclusively in Tasmania that makes a loud screeching growl.

Society of Medalists 1970 40th anniversary medal (168g, 77mm). This large and stylishly designed medal, cast in bronze and hand patinated by the Medallic Art Company, was made in 1970 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Society of Medalists. Along with the number "40," the obverse depicts conjoined designs of the obverse of the Society of Medalists'' first medal (ruffled grouse) and the reverse of the 80th medal (Apollo 11 astronaut stepping on the Moon). The reverse depicts an owl in relief on the left and intaglio on the right along with the other elements on the reverse of classical Athenian Owls issued c. 449-413 BC. The reverse inscription reads, "Perpetuating the Ancient Art of Medallic Sculpture." The 80 border disks, 40 on each side, represent the 80 art medals issued by the society from 1930 to 1970. The society issued two medals a year until 1995, 129 in all. This particular specimen was one of 657 40th anniversary medals issued in bronze, with 125 issued in silver.

National Bank of Greece 1966 125th anniversary medal (155g, 70mm). This large bronze medal was issued in 1966 in commemoration of the 125th anniversary of the National Bank of Greece. It features on the obverse a bust of Georgios Stavros, the bank''s founder and first governor. The reverse is signed by the designer, M. Tombros (Michael T. Tombros) of Athens, Greece. The medal was minted by Messrs. Picchiani e Barlacchi of Florence, Italy. The National Bank of Greece, founded in 1841, is the oldest and largest commercial bank in Greece. It issued paper money until the establishment of the Bank of Greece in 1928. Georgios Stavros'' portrait also appeared on Greek paper money.

Georges Clemenceau bronze medal (400g, 90mm). This very large, very high-relief bronze medal depicts on the obverse a portrait of Georges Clemenceau, France''s prime minister at the end of World War I who lived from 1841 to 1929. The medal was struck in 1931 by the Paris Mint (Monnaie de Paris), France''s official mint, and according to a spokesperson at the mint''s museum, the reverse of an Athenian Owl was chosen for its reverse to confer honor to Clemenceau because of its symbolism of carefulness, intelligence, and wisdom. It was designed by François-Léon Sicard, a noted French sculptor, and was signed F. Sicard by him on the obverse. The reverse actually depicts the reverse of an archaic Athenian Owl tetradrachm, which lacks the crescent moon of later and much more common classical Owls. The reverse legend portrays the Greek letter theta comprised of a horizontal bar instead of a dot in the center as typically appears on Owls.

Iwar Sjögren bronze medal (90g, 56mm). This is another large medal using the wisdom symbolism of the ancient Athenian Owl motif to honor an individual, in this case Iwar Sjögren, who was a chief executive officer of Skandia, a multinational Swedish insurance company that was started in 1855 and currently has operations in Europe, Latin America, Asia, and Australia. Sjögren, as the medal indicates, lived from 1888 to 1953, and presumably this medal was issued in 1953 or shortly afterward. If you know with certainty, or if you know what 24-XI on the obverse signifies (perhaps November 24th, for what?), please let me know. The obverse depicts a portrait of Sjögren. The reverse, along with an owl from the the ancient Athenian Owl, depicts an oak sprig (instead of an olive sprig), a torch and hour glass, "Klokhet" or "Wisdom," "Kunskap" or "Know-how," "Kultur" or "Culture," "Skandia," two quatrefoils (heraldic representations of a flower with four petals), and C-G for Gösta Carell, the engraver.