Medals are given in the fields of battle, sports and other achievements. In past days, common men (mostly soldiers) were given awards with some outward sign of service by the government. The medals formed a part of the formal uniforms, where the medals of various shapes and sizes designated the dignity and status of the particular person who carried the medal. Mostly, medals belong to a tradition of awards, where apart from battles, they are given in particular fields for outstanding achievement or the capability to become a part of the broader history. Two examples are the Nobel Prize or the Carnegie Hero.
However, commemorative medals are issued in memory of a notable person or event. There were civil and military decorative medals that pay respect to the memories of some most notable men or events. Roman Catholics still wear religious medals, and they are believed to be efficacious if blessed by the Church (which is an authority itself).
Medals are most popularly given by sports teams and the government. Therefore, we can conclude that the two most popular fields were medals are given is sports, or in battles for outstanding bravery and courage in war achievements.
Some of the types of medals include neck or breast badges of an order, the Military Cross, gallantry medals such as the Pacific Star, medals for Australians such as the 1939/45 War Medal, The National Medal for Service (in Australia), Victorian Cross, and Bars (means second or subsequent award for the same medal) like a Military Medal with 2 bars, emblems on medal ribbons worn usually to indicate King’s (Queen’s) Commendation’s acknowledgement. In the USA a “V” device stands for medal awarded for valor. European medals have palms or stars to signify a higher degree of honor.
In sports tournaments like the Olympics, a gold medal is given to the person who wins and tops the chart, silver to the one finishing second and a bronze to the third. Gold medals are often awarded to the scholars for doing outstanding work in their respective fields of studies.