Professor Muhammad Yunus Bronze Medal

This bronze medal, a duplicate of the Congressional Gold Medal awarded to Professor Muhammad Yunus, recognizes and honors his extraordinary contributions to fighting global poverty. He is recognized in the U.S. and throughout the world as a leading figure in this fight and the effort to promote economic and social change. He is the father of the concept of very small “microcredit” loans to the very poor and the founder of Grameen Bank, which pioneered his microcredit concept. The model developed by Grameen Bank has been emulated across the world. Yunus’ work has had a particularly strong impact on women and their families, as more than 95 percent of microcredit borrowers are women. He was also the recipient of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize and 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The Medal
The obverse (heads side), designed by United States Mint Artistic Infusion Program (AIP) Master Designer Donna Weaver and sculpted by United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Phebe Hemphill, features a portrait of Yunus with the traditional Bengali jamdani fabric design, reflecting his optimistic and cheerful demeanor. Jamdani is a Bangladeshi hand-woven fabric made of cotton, historically referred to as muslin. Inscriptions are “PROFESSOR MUHAMMAD YUNUS,” “ACT OF CONGRESS” and “2010.”

The reverse (tails), designed by United States Mint AIP Master Designer Richard Masters and sculpted by United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Jim Licaretz, depicts a lotus open in full bloom, rising above the water and cradling the world in its petals, symbolizing Professor Yunus’ dream to end world poverty. The design is partially framed by the inscription “BANKER TO THE POOR,” a common reference to Yunus. The Bengali translation for “Let us send poverty to the museum,” is inscribed on the globe.