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London 1908 Summer Olympics Gold Winner's Medal

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Autographs Start Price:NA Estimated At:14,000.00 - 16,000.00 USD
London 1908 Summer Olympics Gold Winner's Medal

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Auction Date:2017 Jul 20 @ 18:00 (UTC-5 : EST/CDT)
Location:236 Commercial St., Suite 100, Boston, Massachusetts, 02109, United States
ALS - Autograph Letter Signed
ANS - Autograph Note Signed
AQS - Autograph Quotation Signed
AMQS - Autograph Musical Quotation Signed
DS - Document Signed
FDC - First Day Cover
Inscribed - “Personalized”
ISP - Inscribed Signed Photograph
LS - Letter Signed
SP - Signed Photograph
TLS - Typed Letter Signed
Rare winner's medal issued for the London 1908 Summer Olympics. Gold, 33.5 mm, 32 gm (7 gm attributed to the ornamental loop, which likewise appears to be solid gold), designed by Bertram Mackennel, Birmingham; manufactured by Vaughton & Sons, England. The front, inscribed, "Olympic Games, London 1908," features a victorious athlete being crowned with a laurel wreath by two seated females; the reverse depicts St. George, the patron saint of England, slaying a dragon as a goddess looks on. The rim is engraved with the name of the event, "Winner National Round Archery." This medal was awarded to Sybil 'Queenie' Newall, who finished first in the Double National round of female individual archery at age 53 years, 275 days. To this day, she remains the oldest female gold medalist in an individual event. Provenance: Harmer Johnson Olympics Memorabilia Collection.

Solid gold medals were awarded at only four Games—1900, 1904, 1908, and 1912—making this an especially appealing early Olympic piece. Great Britain dominated the Games with a total of 146 medals, far eclipsing second and third place nations the United States (47) and Sweden (25); Great Britain's top finish in the Olympic medal table marks the only instance the country has done so in its history. After Britain took all three winner's places in women's archery in 1908 (all 25 competitors were British), no female British archer won an Olympic medal until 2004. Given that only 250 of these pure gold prizes were struck in 1908, this is a remarkable and exceptionally scarce winner's medal commemorating Great Britain's triumphant first outing as an Olympic host city.