I've had a lot of "Made in Akron, OH" Medalists and enjoyed them all -- once I installed a One Pfoot on them.

IIRC, the 1496 1/2 was not reversible. It became the 1498 which is my favorite big reel. My 1498 has a bronze drag plate which is much finer than the steel plates and gives a "refined" click rather than the sound of a 1950 Buick with gravel in the crankcase, which is the tone of some of the smaller models. Refined may be too strong a word, you still can hear it in the next county, but it doesn't set the dogs howling.