1896 Athens Summer Olympics First Place Silver Medal. The first edition of the Modern Games was properly headquartere...
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Consign your material to be auctioned alongside these items on Saturday, February 28, 2026 in Dallas, TX. Consignment Deadline for this auction is Wednesday, January 7, 2026.
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Description
One of just 100 medals minted for winners of first modern Games!
1896 Athens Summer Olympics First Place Silver Medal. The
first edition of the Modern Games was properly headquartered in the
city where the Olympics were born millennia earlier, the ancient
city of Athens, Greece. Only with the luxury of hindsight are we
able to understand just how important this fragile early edition
was, the first spark of an Olympic flame that burns more brightly
with every subsequent event. Fewer than 250 athletes participated
in the 1896 Athens Games, and here we encounter the key relic of
that inaugural modern Olympics. It's a true "Holy Grail" of the
challenging collecting subgenre, and one of the most significant
awards of any format to be offered by Heritage Sports.Gold hasn't always been the top prize--in the very first Games, silver went to the victorious athletes, with copper for runners-up (no third-place medals were issued). Only one hundred (100) of these silver medals were ever struck, and this one is particularly well-preserved, featuring a Jules-Clement Champlain design with a laurel-wreathed head of Zeus and winged Victory on obverse and a view of Acropolis and Parthenon between Olympic legend on verso. "Argent" edge stamping. Diameter 50 mm., weight 66 g. An important and nearly priceless relic of international sport.
We should note that an identical medal with considerably more handling wear than the subject specimen sold in a July 2021 auction for over $180,000.
Guide Value or Estimate: $100,000 - up.
Auction Info
2026 February 28 - March 1 Winter Platinum Night Sports Catalog Auction #50083 (go to Auction Home page)
Bidding Begins Approx.
February
6th
Friday
Auction Dates
Feb-Mar
28th-1st
Saturday-Sunday
Proxy Bidding Begins Approx.
35 Days
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: N/A
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 50
Auction Type
Signature Internet Extended Bid: These Auctions are presented via catalog and online. Bidding is taken through our website or via phone. There are two phases of bidding during this type of auction: 1) Normal bidding: Bids are taken up until 10 PM CT the night the auction closes. 2) 30 Minute Ending: On a lot-by-lot basis, starting at 10:00 PM CT, any person who has bid on the lot previously may continue to bid on that lot until there are no more bids for 30 minutes. For example, if you bid on a lot during Normal Bidding, you could participate during Extended Bidding for that lot, but not on lots you did not bid on previously. If a bid was placed at 10:15, the new end time for that lot would become 10:45. If no other bids were placed before 10:45, the lot would close. If you are the high bidder on a lot, changing your bid will not extend the bidding during the 30 Minute Ending phase (only a bid from another bidder will extend bidding). If you are the only bidder at 10 PM, you will automatically win the lot at 10:30. Important: After normal bidding ends, you must be signed-on to the Heritage site to see the bidding option on lots where you qualify for extended bidding and you must be on an individual lot page to reflect the accurate time remaining for that particular lot.
Signature Internet Extended Bid: These Auctions are presented via catalog and online. Bidding is taken through our website or via phone. There are two phases of bidding during this type of auction: 1) Normal bidding: Bids are taken up until 10 PM CT the night the auction closes. 2) 30 Minute Ending: On a lot-by-lot basis, starting at 10:00 PM CT, any person who has bid on the lot previously may continue to bid on that lot until there are no more bids for 30 minutes. For example, if you bid on a lot during Normal Bidding, you could participate during Extended Bidding for that lot, but not on lots you did not bid on previously. If a bid was placed at 10:15, the new end time for that lot would become 10:45. If no other bids were placed before 10:45, the lot would close. If you are the high bidder on a lot, changing your bid will not extend the bidding during the 30 Minute Ending phase (only a bid from another bidder will extend bidding). If you are the only bidder at 10 PM, you will automatically win the lot at 10:30. Important: After normal bidding ends, you must be signed-on to the Heritage site to see the bidding option on lots where you qualify for extended bidding and you must be on an individual lot page to reflect the accurate time remaining for that particular lot.
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