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1896 Olympic silver first-place medal, which sold for $180,111

1896 Athens Olympics 1st place medal wins $180K at RR Auction

Sheila Gibson Stoodley
Sheila Gibson Stoodley
1896 Olympic silver first-place medal, which sold for $180,111
Obverse view of 1896 Olympic silver first-place medal, which sold for $180,111

BOSTON, Mass. – An extremely rare first-place silver medal from the first modern Olympic Games held in Athens in 1896 sold for $180,111, according to RR Auction.

At the inaugural Olympiad, first-place winners were awarded silver medals, and second-place finishers earned bronze prizes; there was no award for a third-place result, and a gold medal had yet to be introduced.

Unlike this summer’s Tokyo Olympic Games that will feature more than 11,000 athletes competing in 41 different sports, the 1896 Olympiad only featured about 250 athletes.

This example represents just the third that we have ever offered, and the premiere instance of a first place medal, which are among the most sought-after accolades in the realm of sport.

Reverse side of the 1896 Olympic silver first-place medal
Reverse side of the 1896 Olympic silver first-place medal

“Any winner’s medal from the historic debut of the 1896 Olympic Games remains exceedingly rare,” remarked Bobby Livingston, Executive VP at RR Auction.

Additional highlights from the sale include:

Los Angeles 1984 Summer Olympics gold medal, which realized $83,188
Los Angeles 1984 Summer Olympics gold medal, $83,188

A Los Angeles 1984 Summer Olympics gold winner’s medal awarded to a member of the United States men’s basketball team sold for $83,188.

Los Angeles 1932 Summer Olympics gold medal, earned by Swedish wrestler Ivar Johansson, which sold for $45,375
Los Angeles 1932 Summer Olympics gold medal, $45,375

A Los Angeles 1932 Summer Olympics gold winner’s medal awarded to Swedish wrestler Ivar Johansson sold for $45,375.

Lake Placid 1980 Winter Olympics torch, which sold for $38,250

Lake Placid 1980 Winter Olympics torch, $38,250

A 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics torch sold for $38,250. Also, a Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics torch was offered in the sale and changed hands for $18,529.

Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics torch, which sold for $18,529

Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics torch, $18,529

The Olympic Memorabilia Auction from RR Auction began on July 15 and concluded on July 22. For more information, go to www.rrauction.com.

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