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1896 Athens Olympic bronze medal, $88,580

1896 Athens Olympic medal wins $88K+ at RR auction

Sheila Gibson Stoodley
Sheila Gibson Stoodley
1896 Athens Olympic bronze medal, $88,580
1896 Athens Olympic bronze medal, $88,580

BOSTON – A scarce second-place winner’s medal from the first modern Olympic Games sold for $88,580 on January 20 at RR Auction. 

At the inaugural modern Olympiad in Athens, Greece, in 1896, first-place winners were awarded silver medals, and second-place finishers earned these bronze prizes; there was no award for a third-place result.

Unlike today’s games where thousands of athletes compete, just 250 were featured at the first modern games.

“Any winner’s medal from the historic debut of the Olympic Games remain exceedingly rare ― this being just the second we have ever offered,” said Bobby Livingston, Executive VP at RR Auction.

1904 St. Louis Olympic silver medal, $82,499
1904 St. Louis Olympic silver medal, $82,499

Additional highlights from the sale include a silver medal from the St. Louis 1904 Olympics, which realized $82,499.

1952 Oslo Olympic torch, $73,864
1952 Oslo Olympic torch, $73,864

An Oslo 1952 Winter Olympics torch — one of only 95 made for the first Winter Olympics torch relay — achieved $73,864.

1994 Lillehammer Olympic gold medal, $62,500
1994 Lillehammer Olympic gold medal, $62,500

A Winter Olympics gold medal awarded for ice hockey at the 1994 Lillehammer games sold for $62,500.

1998 Nagano Olympic silver medal, $50,000
1998 Nagano Olympic silver medal, $50,000

And a Nagano 1998 Winter Olympics silver medal sold for $50,000.

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1896 Athens Olympic medal