Rare 1904 Olympic Gold Medal Sells for $545,371 at Auction

The medal, awarded to American Fred Schule for the 110-meter hurdles, is one of the few surviving from the first U.S.-hosted Olympics in St. Louis.

The 1904 St. Louis Games were the first Olympics held in the United States and the first to award gold medals to winners.
Fred Schule's gold medal, awarded for the 110-meter hurdles, includes its original ribbon and leather case, making it a rare and valuable collector's item.
The medal, made entirely of gold unlike modern gold medals, features inscriptions and imagery of Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, and Zeus.
The 1904 Olympics were marked by logistical challenges, controversies, and unusual events, including the relocation of the Games from Chicago and the infamous marathon cheating scandal.
The auction, conducted by RR Auction, included hundreds of Olympic memorabilia items, highlighting the enduring interest in artifacts from the history of the Games.