Restore
Restore. The reprocessing of a medallic item, returning it to as pristine condition and as similar to its original issue as possible. Most often restoring a medal is a simple task of refinishing (striping away old lacquer, abrasive blasting, oxidizing, relieving and relacquering); but it can also be quite extensive: removing corrosion or other unwanted metal by reverse plating, restriking with original dies, repairing holes, dents, nicks in damaged medals, chasing, all prior to refinishing. Such restoration is feasible only for the most valuable medals, but is one of the benefits of medallic art; in contrast to coins, which, perhaps, can be plugged, but is still a damaged coin no matter what is done to it. See repair and restoration.
excerpted with permission from
An Encyclopedia of Coin and Medal Technology
For Artists, Makers, Collectors and Curators
COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY D. WAYNE JOHNSON
Roger W. Burdette, Editor