A gold medal from the first Olympics held in the United States was sold at auction for over $545,000, as part of a larger collection of memorabilia from past Olympic Games. The medal, awarded during the 1904 St. Louis Olympics, fetched a price of $545,371. It is inscribed with “Olympiad, 1904” and features an image of an athlete holding a wreath on the front. On the reverse side, the ancient Greek goddess of victory, Nike, is shown alongside Zeus, the king of the gods, with the words referencing the 110-meter hurdles event for which the medal was given. The medal, which was awarded to American athlete Fred Schule, also came with its original ribbon and leather case.
This Olympics was the first to award gold medals, and American athletes dominated the games, winning 78 out of 96 events. Unlike modern Olympic gold medals, which are primarily made of silver and coated with gold, the medals from the 1904 Games were solid gold, though smaller in size.
Bobby Eaton, an Olympic expert at RR Auction in Boston, mentioned that it is rare for a medal like this to be put up for auction. However, this particular one came from the collection of Fred Schule’s family.
Bobby Eaton noted that the exact number of 1904 Olympic gold medals still in existence is unknown. However, he emphasized that they are extremely rare. Of the approximately 100 gold medals awarded during the St. Louis Games, many have been lost over time or are now held in private collections and museums.
In addition to the rare medals, the 1904 Olympics are also remembered for their share of controversy and peculiarities. Originally, the Games were set to be hosted in Chicago, but organizers of the St. Louis World’s Fair, concerned about competition for attendance, protested the event. They even threatened to hold their own athletic competitions. It was Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic movement, who intervened and resolved the conflict by moving the Olympics to St. Louis, about 300 miles south.
The 1904 Olympics were filled with drama and unusual events. Fred Lorz appeared to have won the marathon, but it was revealed that he had ridden part of the way in a car. In addition, organizers hosted “Anthropology Days,” during which members of indigenous tribes, who were attending the St. Louis World’s Fair, were unexpectedly recruited to compete in events.
The 1904 Games also marked the introduction of boxing and freestyle wrestling, which have remained part of the Summer Olympics ever since. Other events, such as croquet and tug-of-war, have since faded into obscurity.
Bobby Eaton pointed out that these medals are more than just symbols of athletic achievement; they serve as a glimpse into the early years of the modern Olympic movement. He added that owning a medal in such excellent condition is a rare and exceptional opportunity for collectors.
This auction was part of a larger sale of Olympic memorabilia, including a bronze medal from the 2024 Paris Olympics, as well as gold medals from the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, 1964 Tokyo Olympics, 1998 Nagano Olympics, and 2012 London Olympics. Olympic memorabilia has consistently fetched high prices at auction.
In 2022, the silver medal won by Luz Long, the German long jumper who famously befriended Jesse Owens at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, was sold at auction for over $488,000. Another significant auction took place in 2021, when a silver medal from the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896 sold for $180,111. Additionally, a gold medal from the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver was sold for $68,750 in 2019.
Some athletes have also auctioned their medals for charitable causes. For example, Ukrainian canoe champion Yuri Cheban sold his two gold medals and a bronze in 2022, raising $109,451 for the war effort. Swimmer Ryan Lochte auctioned off six of his Olympic silver and bronze medals that same year, with the $166,779 raised going to a children’s charity. He kept his gold medals.
The 2028 Summer Olympics will be held in Los Angeles, marking the city’s third time hosting the Games, after previously hosting them in 1932 and 1984.
