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An extremely rare piece of Olympics history hits the auction block this week. Sports enthusiasts with deep pockets have the chance to own an original gold medal from the 1924 Paris Summer Olympics.
The 1924 Paris Games were a hallmark of Olympics and sports history. More than 3,000 athletes from 44 countries competed in the first Olympics to include a Closing Ceremony. American swimmer Johnny Weissmuller won three gold medals and later went on to play Tarzan in 12 films. Swiss tennis player Richard Norris Williams won gold, after surviving the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912. He almost lost both his legs after jumping into the freezing water, but made a full recovery. The Paris Games were also featured in the award-winning film Chariots of Fire.
The 1924 Paris Games were also the first to officially feature the iconic five-ring Olympic symbol. The rings were designed by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympics and symbolize five continents and athletic unity.
The medals were designed by sculptor André Rivaud. The obverse side shows a winning athlete reaching out to help a fallen competitor, an image of sportsmanship that set the standard for future Olympic medal design. The five Olympic rings are beneath this scene. The reverse side features sports equipment alongside a harp, a nod to the Cultural Olympiad. This artistic and cultural program ran alongside the athletic competition to explore the links between art and sport and the values they both share.
The medal is about 2 inches in diameter and weighs 2.7 ounces. It is listed as “near fine condition,” is made from gold-plated gilt silver and has the “2ARGENT” stamp on the rim as a mark of authenticity. Only 304 gold medals were originally produced, making them one of the rarest and most coveted pieces of Olympic history in existence. The auction will take place on May 28 with a minimum bid of $14,000.
Only 780 days to go until the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, California.
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Laura is Popular Science’s news editor, overseeing coverage of a wide variety of subjects. Laura is particularly fascinated by all things aquatic, paleontology, nanotechnology, and exploring how science influences daily life.
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Extremely rare 1924 Olympic gold medal up for auction – Popular Science
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