Numismatic Guaranty Company® (NGC®) is proud to have certified a rare first-place Olympic medal from the 1924 Summer Olympics, which were held in Paris a century ago. The medal was submitted to NGC for certification during this year’s Summer Olympics, also being held in Paris.
The medal will be displayed at Fanatics Fest NYC, being held at the Javits Center in New York City on August 16-18, 2024. It will be showcased at Booth #2225, which is operated by Certified Guaranty Company® (CGC®), an affiliate of NGC that grades sports cards and other pop culture collectibles.
NGC authenticated the first-place medal, graded it NGC MS 65 and encapsulated it in an NGC Oversize Holder, which accommodates its impressive diameter of 55 mm. The medal is silver with a coating of gold, as are the current Olympic first-place medals that are commonly referred to as "gold." This particular medal realized $46,279 when it sold uncertified at an RR Auction sale in January 2024.
Designed by Andre Rivaud, the obverse of the medal shows a victorious athlete extending a hand to a fallen competitor. The scene is placed above the now-famous Olympic rings, which had been in use for about a decade and were first included on Olympic medals in 1924. The reverse shows sporting equipment and a harp, echoing hopes for peace following the devastation of World War I on Europe.
"NGC is always excited to have the opportunity to grade an Olympic medal," said Ben Wengel, Senior Vice President of World Coin Grading. "Elite collectors can feel the thrill of victory knowing that their rare numismatic collectibles are certified with NGC’s expert determinations of authentication and grade, which are backed by the NGC Guarantee."
NGC’s expert grading team has certified some of the greatest medals in existence. They include a Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine, a Congressional Gold Medal awarded to President Harrison and a Gold Robbins Medal that Neil Armstrong took along on the historic Apollo 11 moon mission, which realized more than $2 million at a Heritage Auctions sale in 2019.
NGC has graded other rare Olympic medals, including:
- a Greece 1870 Zappas Olympics Gold Victor’s Award graded NGC SP 63 that realized $150,000 at a Heritage Auctions sale in May 2022
- a Greece 1896-dated 1st Modern Olympics Silver Medal graded NGC UNC Details that realized €40,000 (about $48,400) at a sale presented by A. Karamitsos in April 2021
- a Germany 1936 Berlin Olympics Gilt Silver 1st Prize Medal graded NGC MS 61, which was certified by NGC after it realized $44,400 in a Heritage Auctions sale in February 2020
About Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC®)
NGC is the world’s largest and most trusted third-party grading service for coins, tokens and medals, with more than 60 million collectibles certified, including a 1787 Brasher Doubloon that sold for a record $9.36 million. Founded in 1987, NGC provides an accurate, consistent and impartial assessment of authenticity and grade, backed by the comprehensive NGC Guarantee, which gives collectors greater confidence. To learn more, visit NGCcoin.com.
NGC is part of the Certified Collectibles Group® (CCG®), whose mission is to empower collectors with services that ignite passion, create value and build community. With more than 90 million collectibles certified across a wide range of categories, CCG’s four brands – NGC, Paper Money Guaranty® (PMG®), Certified Guaranty Company® (CGC®) and Authenticated Stamp Guaranty® (ASG®) – are synonymous with trust and expertise in their hobbies.
