30 Day 

Recovery Coin Chip Medallion Medal Token 

AA

Bronze

New Set of 10 Coins

The Original

Raised Center

Known the world over for their distinctive design

and lasting message, These Classic Anniversary

medallions are an essential piece of recovery

history. With great pride we bring these medallions

to you and your group members to help encourage,

inspire and celebrate milestones in recovery.

Each medallion is die-struck in high quality bronze

ensuring a lifetime of beauty and durability. We

offer a medallion for every monthly and yearly

milestone to allow every person to receive a gift of

achievement of their personal goal

Have you ever wondered how the custom of handing out

Raised Center AA medallions began?

The story behind this tradition is a story of innovation and strength of the recovery fellowship.

One of the brightest highlights in Wendell’s history is our role in the area of support for the

millions of people worldwide who have fought and are still fighting the battle of addiction. In

early 1973, Bill Westman, a recovering alcoholic wanted to do something to fortify the will of the

groups and individuals he spoke with. Bill designed and had Wendell’s produce a coin bearing

the two large A’s on one side of the medallion and the Serenity Prayer on the reverse. His advice

to all was to “carry this in your pocket or purse and when temptation is great, reach into your

pocket and feel the medallion and remember your struggle to get this far”. Thousands of the

medallions were given to individuals and attendees of his Founders Group. Always thinking of

his fellow members, Bill decided he wanted a design that would have individual meaning for

each person who carried one. He knew the medallion as originally designed would feel much like

change in the pocket or purse so he changed the design by adding a raised center with the actual

time the person had been sober.

The process of making the medallion with the raised center was labor intensive as each medal

-

lion had to have the raised center soldered onto the coin and the demand for the medallion was

soon overwhelming. Bill worked with Wendell’s and developed the one piece, die struck circle/

triangle medallion with the anniversary in Roman numerals in the center raised section. When

designing his new medallion, Bill used the phrase “To Thine Own Self Be True” as he felt every

recovering person should make their journey to sobriety a personal responsibility. Bill used “The

Man In The Glass” as a guideline for his own sobriety and felt if he could “look that man in

the face”, he would be successful in his journey. Bill chose to surround the circle/triangle with

the wording “Recovery, Unity, Service” as they exemplify the meaning of one’s commitment to

sobriety. The process of producing these medallions may have changed through the years but the

commitment of the man who inspired them remains the same. We are aware that the medallion

has been copied and although that is a form of flattery, the intent and fellowship that goes into

Wendell’s medallions can never be duplicated because they are inspired by a man who although

struggling with his own addiction wanted to offer support to others.