Rare 1904 Olympic Gold Medal Reaches $545,000 At Auction
A gold medal handed out at the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis sold for a staggering $545,371, making it the third-highest ever sold at auction.
The medal served as a centerpiece for the 384-item Olympic memorabilia sale from Boston-basedRR Auction that ended on Thursday night.
MEMORABILIA: Yowsah! Staggering $436,297 paid for beautifully-preserved 1904 St. Louis @Olympics gold at @RRAuction ! ~ https://t.co/3Sh5tNNJAv pic.twitter.com/Q4SgwL1u5g
— Rich Perelman (@RichPerelman) January 17, 2025
"Any winner's medal from the 1904 Olympics is excessively rare, ranking amongst the most elusive of all Olympic prizes,” RR Auctions wrote in its lot description. “This example, in particular, is exceptionally well-preserved."
The medal -- awarded to U.S. runner Fred Schule after winning the 110 meter hurdles -- surpassed the $150,000 estimate and had reached nearly $200,000 just a week ago.
Thrilled with the media coverage as we count down to the finish! 🏅 Auction closes this Thursday, 1/16.🕰️ #Olympics #Auctionhttps://t.co/oylkHEKgbe
— RR Auction (@RRAuction) January 13, 2025
The only two Olympic medals to sell for more was one awarded to runner Jesse Owens from the 1936 Berlin Olympics, which sold for $1.47 million in 2013. The second was boxer Wladimir Klitschko’s 1996 Atlanta gold medal, which he sold for $1 million in 2012 to raise money for charity.
Among the other highlights from the auction -- which included an assortment of items that included torches and banners -- were 18 items that sold for $15,000 or more.
The 1904 St. Louis Games remain significant in Olympic history as the first where prize medals were presented in gold, silver and bronze, a tradition that endures to this day.
Clemente Lisi is a writer and editor with nearly three decades of experience. You can follow him at x.com/ClementeLisi.