It is awarded by the Royal Numismatic Society and is one of the highest markers of recognition given to numismatists.
The president and Council award the medal annually to an "individual highly distinguished for services to Numismatic Science".
[1] In recent years the medallist has been invited to receive the medal in person and to give a lecture, usually at the society's December Meeting.
Sir John Evans gave the dies for the original silver medal to the society in 1883.
[2] The society commissioned Robert Elderton to create a new medal in 2020–21[3] Recipients of the Medal of the Royal Numismatic Society and their lecture titles (where available) are given below.