Copenhagen, Denmark. A silver medal awarded at the 1896 Athens Olympics sold for around four times its expected high price at a Danish auction house on Sunday. The medal was sold at Bruun Rasmussen Arts Auctioneers’ online sale.
Sale price and estimate
The medal was hammered down for DKK 900,000 ($141,658.67) excluding buyer’s premium, or DKK 1,152,000 ($181,323.09) including fees. It had been estimated to fetch between DKK 200,000 and DKK 300,000 ($31,480 to $47,220).
Design and inscription
Engraved by French artist Jules-Clement Chaplain, the medal features Zeus holding a globe topped by Nike, the Goddess of Victory, holding an olive branch. The reverse shows the Acropolis and Parthenon with a Greek inscription that translates to International Olympic Games – Athens 1896.
Connection to Denmark and the 1896 Games
The 1896 Games included 241 athletes from 14 countries, including Denmark. The auction house said Viggo Jensen became Denmark’s first Olympic weightlifting champion, but it could not confirm whether the medal was awarded specifically for that achievement.
What do you think drove the medal’s final price far beyond its auction estimate?