BOSTON, MASS.- An extremely rare second-place winner's medal from the first modern Olympic Games sold for $88,580 , according to Boston-based
RR Auction.
At the inaugural modern Olympiad in Athens, Greece, in 1896, first-place winners were awarded silver medals, and second-place finishers earned these bronze prizes; there was no award for a third-place result.
Unlike today's games where thousands of athletes compete, just 250 were featured at the first modern games.
"Any winner's medal from the historic debut of the Olympic Games remain exceedingly rare―this being just the second we have ever offered," said Bobby Livingston, Executive VP at RR Auction.
Additional highlights from the sale include, but are not limited by:
• St. Louis 1904 Olympics silver medal sold for $82,499 .
• Oslo 1952 Winter Olympics torch—one of only 95 made sold for $73,864.
• Lillehammer 1994 Winter Olympics gold medal for ice hockey sold for $62,500.
• Nagano 1998 Winter Olympics silver medal sold for $50,000.
• Lillehammer 1994 Winter Olympics torch sold for $41,599.
• Rome 1960 Summer Olympics gold medal awarded to Yugoslavian Andrija Ankovic sold for $34,378.
• Garmisch 1936 Winter Olympics silver medal sold for $32,500.
• Innsbruck 1976 Winter Olympics torch sold for $30,199.
The Olympic auction from RR Auction began December 13 and concluded January 20.
