“Unveiling History: The Shocking Price Behind a 1904 Olympic Gold Medal That Stunned Auction Goers!”
Fred Schule’s competition wasn’t nearly as eventful. His first-place finish in the 110-meter hurdle race earned him a gold medal, and that very medal just sold for more than half a million dollars.
Fred Schule’s Gold Medal Goes Up For Auction
Nearly all of the gold medals awarded during the 1904 Olympic Games have been lost, Bobby Eaton, an Olympic specialist at the auction house RR Auction, told the Associated Press. “No one really knows exactly how many 1904 Olympic gold medals are still out there,” Eaton said. “What we do know is they’re exceedingly rare. Of the roughly 100 gold medals awarded in St. Louis, many have been lost to time or are tucked away in private collections and museums.”
RR AuctionFred Schule’s medal still has its original ribbon and leather case.
In January 2025, Fred Schule’s gold medal went up for auction at RR Auction’s sale of Olympics memorabilia. When the auction house received news of the medal, they were ecstatic:
“Collectors often strive to assemble complete sets of Olympic medals from every Games, and you simply can’t complete a set without a 1904 gold medal,” Eaton told Smithsonian Magazine. “Within our vast network of collectors, there are no others in private hands from a sanctioned 1904 event. That level of rarity — combined with its condition and provenance — explains why collectors were so determined to acquire it.”
One side of the century-old medal is inscribed with the words “Olympiad 1904” and depicts an athlete with a wreath. The other side features the Greek goddess Nike and the words “110 Meter Hurdle” and “St. Louis U.S.A.” The medal’s leather case and original ribbon are also still intact. While the 1904 medal is smaller than the medals awarded today, it is made of pure gold, while modern medals are mostly silver with gold plating.
