HomeMemorabiliaMEMORABILIA: St. Louis 1904 Olympic gold medal already at $168,209 at auction, with a week to go!

MEMORABILIA: St. Louis 1904 Olympic gold medal already at $168,209 at auction, with a week to go!

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≡ RR AUCTION ONGOING ≡

A beautifully-preserved gold medal from the 1904 Olympic Games in St. Louis was expected to bring as much as $150,000 in the ongoing RR Auction of Olympic memorabilia that will end on 16 January.

It has already zoomed past that with a week to go, drawing 14 bids so far and standing at $168,209!

St. Louis was the first Olympics to use the now-traditional gold, silver and bronze-medal scheme for the top three placers. This specific medal was presented to winner Fred Schule of the U.S., who led an American sweep.

Minted in New York, the medal is in excellent condition and includes part of its original, four-color ribbon and gold clasp, and is offered in its original, worn, leather case, reading “Medal for Olympic Games, Universal Exposition, St. Louis U.S.A., F. J. V. Skiff, Dir. of Exhibits, Jas. E. Sullivan, Chief.”

The response to the medal has been remarkable, said RR Auction chief operating officer Bobby Eaton, “It is the BEST 1904 medal to ever come to auction.”

The 384-item auction has eight other items already at $10,000 or more; auctions usually draw the heaviest interest very close to the end. But so far:

● $27,500: 1968 Grenoble Winter Olympic torch (one of 33 made)
● $22,987: 2024 Paris Olympic bronze medal for women’s wrestling
● $22,000: 1998 Nagano Winter Olympic gold medal for ski jumping
● $16,500: 1994 Albertville Winter Olympic torch (one of 130 made)
● $15,700: 2012 London gold medal for men’s volleyball
● $13,200: 1956 Stockholm Olympic equestrian gold medal
● $11,000: 1908 London Olympic gold medal for field hockey
● $10,000: 1932 Los Angeles Olympic gold medal with box

The auction also includes a 2024 Paris Olympic torch, now at $8,860 after eight bids, and a lot more. A unique, four-torch collection from the late Phil Coles, an International Olympic Committee member from Australia, from Rio 2016 and Winter Games from 2002-2018-2022 is currently at a modest $3,025!

Bidding ends on 16 January and you must be registered to bid.

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