How much is a Winter Olympics gold medal worth as shiny metal prices soar?

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The medals athletes triumph during the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan could beryllium acold much invaluable than successful past games due to the fact that of soaring gold and metallic prices.

Olympic golden medals are nary longer made of coagulated gold. The past clip a axenic golden medal was awarded was astatine the 1912 Summer Olympic Games successful Stockholm, Sweden, Bobby Eaton, an Olympics memorabilia adept astatine Boston-based RR Auction, told CBS News. Now, the International Olympic Committee lone requires that golden medals dwell of astatine slightest 92.5% silver, according to IOC guidelines.

Olympic golden medals contiguous are composed of 500 grams of metallic plated with six grams of axenic gold. Silver medals incorporate 500 grams of metallic and nary golden plating. Bronze medals are coagulated bronze.

At existent precious metallic prices and based solely connected the mineral contents, the alleged "melt value" of an Olympic golden medal is astir $2,500.

On Monday, the price of gold rose to $5,090 per ounce. Six grams is adjacent to 0.2 ounces, giving the golden contained successful the Winter Olympic medals a worth of $1,018. At $83 an ounce, the metallic contained successful a golden medal is worthy astir $1,463. That would marque a golden medal worthy $2,481, conscionable based connected the worth of its components.

Gold prices soared to grounds highs past month, surpassing $5,000 for the archetypal time, arsenic investors flocked to the precious metallic to hedge against risks related to geopolitical uncertainty and rising planetary debt.

No melting down history

Of course, Olympic medals typically person a acold greater fiscal worth due to the fact that of their humanities value and collectability. If an jock were to effort to merchantability their medal soon aft the games, they could fetch betwixt $50,000 and $80,000, Eaton told CBS News.

"There is simply a discrepancy betwixt the melt worth and existent collectible value," helium said.

While astir Olympic athletes clasp connected to their hard-earned medals, immoderate prize winners resell them for prices that tin bespeak their prestige and significance. In 2013, 1 of 4 golden medals won by U.S. way and tract jock Jesse Owens astatine the 1936 Olympic Games successful Berlin was auctioned for $1.47 cardinal — a grounds for an Olympic medal, according to SCP Auctions, which handled the sale.

More recently, swimming champ Ryan Lochte successful 2022 auctioned six of his medals — 3 silver, 3 bronze — to rise wealth for a children's charity. Over 4 Olympics, helium won a full of 12 medals, including six gold.

"I'm not 1 to beryllium each sentimental astir medals," Lochte told The Associated Press astatine the time. "My medals are conscionable sitting successful my closet collecting dust. The memories that I person is what means the most."

Handle with care

This year's medals are drafting attraction for different crushed that could presumably instrumentality immoderate of the radiance off. The Olympics Organizing Committee said it is investigating an "issue affecting a tiny number" of the prizes aft immoderate athletes complained that their medals had broken.

"Don't leap successful them," Breezy Johnson, who won the golden medal in downhill skiing for Team USA connected Sunday, told reporters aft her race.

"I was jumping successful excitement and it broke. I'm definite idiosyncratic volition hole it — it's not similar brainsick broken — but it's a small broken," she said.

Edited by Alain Sherter

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