WHAT'S THE RESALE VALUE OF AN OLYMPIC MEDAL?

The medals athletes win during the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan could be far more valuable than in past games because of soaring gold and silver prices.

Olympic gold medals are no longer made of solid gold. The last time a pure gold medal was awarded was at the 1912 Summer Olympic Games in Stockholm, Sweden, Bobby Eaton, an Olympics memorabilia expert at Boston-based RR Auction, told CBS News. Now, the International Olympic Committee only requires that gold medals consist of at least 92.5% silver, according to IOC guidelines.

Olympic gold medals today are composed of 500 grams of silver plated with six grams of pure gold. Silver medals contain 500 grams of silver and no gold plating. Bronze medals are solid bronze.

At current precious metal prices and based solely on the mineral contents, the so-called "melt value" of an Olympic gold medal is around $2,500.

Gold prices soared to record highs last month, surpassing $5,000 for the first time, as investors flocked to the precious metal to hedge against risks stemming from geopolitical uncertainty and rising global debt. A decade ago, gold traded for between $1,200 and $1,300 per ounce.

Athletes who sold medals
Of course, Olympic medals typically have a far greater financial value because of their historical significance and collectability. If an athlete were to try to sell their medal soon after the games, they could fetch between $50,000 and $80,000, Eaton told CBS News.

"There is a discrepancy between the melt value and actual collectible value," he said.

While most Olympic athletes hold on to their hard-earned medals, some prize winners resell them for prices that can reflect their prestige and significance. In 2013, one of four gold medals won by U.S. track and field athlete Jesse Owens at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin was auctioned for $1.47 million — a record for an Olympic medal, according to SCP Auctions, which handled the sale.

Greg Louganis, the famed American diver who won a total of five gold medals and one silver medal at the 1976, 1984 and 1988 Olympics, also parted ways with three of his five medals. In 2025, his Seoul 1988 Summer Olympics gold medal for 10-meter platform diving sold for over $200,000, according to RR Auction, which handled the sale.

To read the complete article, see:
How much gold is in an Olympic gold medal, and how much is it worth? (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/winter-olympics-2026-gold-medal-prices/)

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