Hi Shellback,
Craig posted an answer in another thread, but here it is for easy viewing.
"The medals are kind of like bragger badges or rankings. Here's a quick run down of the medals and what they mean. Eventually this information will also be on the help page.
No medals = Less than 25 posts (relatively new)
1 medal = 25 - 74 posts
2 medals = 75 - 249 posts
3 medals = 250 - 499 posts
4 medals = 500 - 999 posts
5 medals = 1000 - 2999 posts
5 orange medals = more than 3000 posts "
TK