# How Much are Olympic Medals Worth?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-are-olympic-medals-worth/260128>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 16, 2004, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-are-olympic-medals-worth/260128 "2004-08-16T19:55:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\
**Post date:** [August 16, 2004, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-are-olympic-medals-worth/260128/1 "2004-08-16T19:55:02Z")

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I don’t mean in terms of endorsement contracts, nor in terms of their auction value as collectors items on ebay. I mean strictly in terms of their metal value. How much do a gold, silver or bronze medal weigh? How much is each worth in the commodities market?

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**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\
**Post date:** [August 16, 2004, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-are-olympic-medals-worth/260128/2 "2004-08-16T20:57:04Z")

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The bronze and silver medals are are just that, with the silver being at least sterling quality (92.5% silver). The gold medals are also basically silver with only a coating of gold. However, the fact that each gold medal must be coated with 6 grams of gold, which makes them much better than ordinary gold plate.

From [This](http://www.minerals.org.au/olympics/themedals.html) site:

> [@](#):
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> Each Olympic medal must be at least 68mm across and 3mm thick. The gold and silver medals must contain at least 92.5% silver, and at least 6 grams of 24-carat gold must coat each gold medal. Bronze medals contain copper, zinc, tin and a very small amount of silver.

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**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\
**Post date:** [August 16, 2004, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-are-olympic-medals-worth/260128/3 "2004-08-16T21:09:08Z")

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Regarding the gold medals, I found this German website saying that the medals weigh 150 grams (4.8 troy ounces) and are made of gold-plated silver, with 6 grams (0.19 troy ounces) of gold in it (and I guess 146 grams, or 4.7 troy ounces, of silver) Gold was traded at $403 per ounce today, silver at $6.70, which makes for aproximately $31.50 in silver metal value and $76.60 in gold, totalling a bit more than a hundred dollars.