Bashford Dean (1867–1928), the founding curator of the Arms and Armor Department, was also a highly regarded scientist. Dean traveled in Russia as part of his scientific research in the 1890s and presumably attended the Seventh Russian Mining Congress in Kyshtym in 1897 where he would have received this medal.

The round medal is made of black cast iron. Obverse: around the perimeter there is a scalloped edge and the words GEOLOGORUM CONVENTUS + MENTE ET MALLEO +. In the circular area of the center there is a pair of crossed hammers, at the top “VII,” to the left “18,” to the right “97,” and below ROSSIA. Reverse: around the perimeter there is a wreath and [in Cyrillic] the phrase “Kychtym Mountainous District.” In the center there is a fish shown in profile in low relief above the word Kychtym.