Vintage Olympic track and field gold medal being auctioned for $185,000

If you would like to own an extremely rare piece of Olympic history, it will likely come at a cost. Boston’s RR Auction Co. is auctioning the gold medal from the 1904 Olympic Games in St. Louis in the men’s 110m hurdles. Originally priced at US$150,000, the bidding has already increased by almost US$35,000 since it was listed in mid-December.

The St. Louis Games of 1904 were significant in Olympic history as the first Games where prize medals were presented in gold, silver, and bronze to first, second, and third place winners—a tradition that continues to this day. Any winner’s medal from the 1904 Olympics is exceedingly rare, ranking among the most elusive of all Olympic prizes.

The Games were one of the main attractions at the 1904 World’s Fair, which drew 19.7 million attendees on a 124-acre site. The Olympic events were dominated by the U.S., who won 76 of the 97 medals across 16 sports, including a sweep in the men’s 110m hurdles. U.S. national champion Fred Schule won the gold in 16 seconds flat. 

Now, 121 years later, the world record for the 110m hurdles stands at 12.80 seconds, set by American Aries Merritt at the Brussels Diamond League in 2012.

According to the RR Auction website, the medal is in amazing condition for its age and includes most of the original ribbon and the case it came in. The medal also bears the event’s name, which varies with each edition of the Games. Each host city has the creative freedom to design its medals, which can result in a variety of styles and/or distinct features.

The 1904 Games marked the first time the U.S. hosted the Olympics, which they have since hosted seven more times (four Summer and four Winter Games). They will host their ninth and tenth Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028 and Salt Lake City in 2034.

The bidding for the medal will end on Jan. 16.