# Is it against Olympic rules to sell a medal? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 4, 2012, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-against-olympic-rules-to-sell-a-medal/630357 "2012-08-04T00:14:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-against-olympic-rules-to-sell-a-medal/630357/1 "2012-08-04T00:14:38Z")
If an athlete found themselves on hard times, could they sell an Olympic medal that they had won years before? Has this happened? I don’t know how large the medals were at the time, but during (and before) the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, the gold medal was actually made from 24 K gold. That would bring some nice cash today even in melt value. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-against-olympic-rules-to-sell-a-medal/630357/2 "2012-08-04T00:29:07Z")
It is officially against the rules, but people do it anyway. Medals occasionally come up for sale at estate auctions or among collectors. ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-against-olympic-rules-to-sell-a-medal/630357/3 "2012-08-04T00:44:41Z")
Not sure if it is against the rules but I found an [old USA Today article](http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gameon/post/2010/09/olympic-gold-medal-30000-ebay/1#.UBxv06A0-So) about a Cuban gold medalist selling her Olympic medal on EBay. ---
**Author:** ![Telperion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telperion/32/509_2.png) [@Telperion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperion)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-against-olympic-rules-to-sell-a-medal/630357/4 "2012-08-04T00:45:52Z")
> [@Mangosteen](#): > > I don’t know how large the medals were at the time, but during (and before) the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, the gold medal was actually made from 24 K gold. That would bring some nice cash today even in melt value. Well, probably not as much as you’d think. The medals were a lot smaller 100 years ago and weighed only 24 grams, which is about three quarters of a troy ounce. Hence, the gold value would be around $1,200 at today’s prices. ---
**Author:** ![IAmNotSpartacus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@IAmNotSpartacus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IAmNotSpartacus)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-against-olympic-rules-to-sell-a-medal/630357/5 "2012-08-04T05:41:25Z")
Good thing the IOC/USOC are not bastards like the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-against-olympic-rules-to-sell-a-medal/630357/6 "2012-08-04T06:05:09Z")
Against the rules? What rules? How can anyone presume to tell someone what they can do with a prize after it is given? ---
**Author:** ![IAmNotSpartacus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@IAmNotSpartacus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IAmNotSpartacus)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-against-olympic-rules-to-sell-a-medal/630357/7 "2012-08-04T06:22:30Z")
Make them sign an agreement giving the issuer of the medal right of first purchase for $1… in the case of the Academy anyhow… ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-against-olympic-rules-to-sell-a-medal/630357/8 "2012-08-04T06:30:06Z")
Mm. I wouldn’t call that a “given” prize. But nevermind terms. Is there in fact any such written legal contract for Olympic medals? I’ve heard of several sales, never a whisper of a question about it. ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-against-olympic-rules-to-sell-a-medal/630357/9 "2012-08-04T13:43:26Z")
Rick Harrison (Pawn Stars) has [a couple](http://www.history.com/shows/pawn-stars/videos/olympic-bronze-medals#olympic-bronze-medals). ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-against-olympic-rules-to-sell-a-medal/630357/10 "2012-08-04T13:49:56Z")
Tangentially, a number of football players have [sold/pawned Superbowl rings](http://www.sptimes.com/News/012601/SuperBowl2001/Getting_the_ring_can_.shtml). > [@](#): > > Steelers running back Rocky Bleier sold his four Super Bowl rings for $40,000 in 1996 in a bankruptcy-and-divorce procedure and was allowed to “lease” them for $1,368 a month over three years to get them back; Cowboys linebacker Thomas “Hollywood” Henderson had his Super Bowl XII ring seized to pay back taxes. Giants wide receiver Bob Johnson pawned his Super Bowl XXI ring in Nashville for $500 and never retrieved it. Raiders defensive back Skip Thomas pawned his Super Bowl XI ring in a futile attempt to save his house from being sold by creditors. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-against-olympic-rules-to-sell-a-medal/630357/11 "2012-08-04T13:50:59Z")
What are they worth(outside of historical value)? From Wiki: > [@Wiki](#): > > First place: It is composed of 550 grams of silver (at least 925 grade) covered with 6 grams of pure gold (worth approximately $800 as of July 29,2012). > Second place: It has the same composition as the first place medal without the gilding (worth approximately $500 as of July 29, 2012). > Third place: It is mostly copper with some tin and zinc (worth approximately $3) ---
**Author:** ![Dahu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dahu/32/3416_2.png) [@Dahu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dahu)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-against-olympic-rules-to-sell-a-medal/630357/12 "2012-08-04T18:41:12Z")
Tommie Smith tried to sell his 1968 200m medal. > **[Tommie Smith's 1968 Olympic Gold Medal and 200M Worn Pumas - Moments In Time](https://momentsintime.com/tommie-smiths-1968-olympic-gold-medal-and-200m-worn-pumas/)** > > See the Interview Here Hard to find what happened, but as far as I can tell there were no offers at the minimum price and it was withdrawn from sale. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-against-olympic-rules-to-sell-a-medal/630357/13 "2012-08-04T19:31:36Z")
[Looks to be perfectly legal, and even the Olympic Committee is in on it.](http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/story?id=100405&page=1#.UB13yKAi4do) Some medals have even been auctioned off for charity. ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-against-olympic-rules-to-sell-a-medal/630357/14 "2012-08-05T07:54:34Z")
The Greatest Ski Jumper Ever, Matti Nykänen, planned to sell his medal collection, including four Olympic gold medals, after hitting hard times. A national movement ensued to keep the treasure in Finland, and they ended up in the Finnish Museum of Sports. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-against-olympic-rules-to-sell-a-medal/630357/15 "2012-08-05T15:23:03Z")
> [@Toxylon](#): > > The Greatest Ski Jumper Ever, Matti Nykänen, planned to sell his medal collection, including four Olympic gold medals, after hitting hard times. A national movement ensued to keep the treasure in Finland, and they ended up in the Finnish Museum of Sports. Am I the only one who, when I read _“The Greatest Ski Jumper Ever…”_ thought you were going to be talking about [Vinko Bogataj?](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKEDD1i4oGk) 😃