Impressive range at RR Auctions (part 2)
Next Thursday (January 16, 2025) RR Auctions kicks off the new year with a stunning auction. The range is great and the estimate exceeds USD1,700,000. It might be a record breaking auction for RR Auctions regarding Olympic memorabilia. Lets see if they reach USD2,000,000 including buyers premium.. I will just highlight some areas and individual lots in this post but I recommend you to walk through the entire catalogue to see if something catches your interest. You find the full auction at the website. This is part 2 in our serie about the auction. Part 1 can be found here.
All images in this post is published from the RR Auction site. Sizing and filters might have been applied.
Please contact us to discuss certain lots or areas.
Money can’t buy me love…
But if it could, there are som remarkable items at the auction you don’t see very often. However, this unique items also comes with a price that might be too high. Anyhow, for everyone else, this is a perfect possibility to see the items and dream about having them in the collection. I will not possess any of these after the auction but I am sure glad to be able to see them. They are true rarities!
Gold winner’s medal St Louis 1904
St Louis 1900 Gold winner’s medal
Extraordinarily elusive gold winner's medal awarded to an elite hurdler at the St. Louis 1904 Olympic Games.
Incredibly rare winner's medal issued for a first-place finish in the 110 meter hurdle event at the St. Louis 1904 Olympics. Gold, 39 mm, 30 gm, designed and minted by Dieges & Clust, New York. The front, inscribed "Olympiad, 1904," depicts a victorious athlete holding a wreath in front of an ancient Greek athlete frieze and the Acropolis. The reverse pictures a Standing Nike and bust of Zeus, engraved with the event's name within a wreath, "110 Meter Hurdle." The medal is suspended from its original blue, white, red, and gold ribbon with gold clasp, featuring raised text, "1904, Universal Exposition, Olympic Games, St. Louis." Complete with its worn original leather hinged presentation case, gilt-stamped on the top with the legend: "Medal for Olympic Games, Universal Exposition, St. Louis U.S.A., F. J. V. Skiff, Dir. of Exhibits, Jas. E. Sullivan, Chief."
The St. Louis Games of 1904 were significant in Olympic history as the first Games where prize medals were presented in gold, silver, and bronze, to first, second, and third place winners, an enduring tradition that continues to this day. Any winner's medal from the 1904 Olympics is excessively rare, ranking amongst the most elusive of all Olympic prizes. This example, in particular, is exceptionally well preserved.
It is estimated at USD150,00 and bids just now are at an impressive USD168,000 (January 8).
Participation medal 1900 St Louis
St Louis 1900 participation medal
Great rarity, a 1904 St Louis participation medal. On the obverse OLYMPIC GAMES - SAINT-LOUIS - 1904 USA. Nude athlete walking on the right in front of a radiant sun and holding laurel branch.
On the reverse 1803 / UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION / COMMEMORATING THE / OLYMPIC GAMES / 1904 / PHYSICAL CULTURE / DEPARTMENT / FREDERICK / J.V. SKIFF. /DEPARTMENT OF EXHIBITS.
For participants it came without a ring or ribbon. For judges and officials it came with a ring and ribbon. A version with bronze gilt and ring has been identified.
The medal was housed in a cardboard box, imprinted on the lid: ”1803 Universal Exposition, Commemorating the Olympic Games, 1904, Physical Culture Department, Frederick J. V. Skiff, Director of Exhibits, Jas. E. Sullivan, Chief of Staff.” The inner lid is imprinted with the address of the maker, Dieges & Clust.
The medal is suspended from a multicolored ribbon faintly marked, “St. Louis, Sept. 1904,” with the upper badge bearing raised text: ”American Committee.”
It is estimated at USD15,000 and bids just now are at USD1,465 (January 8).
1956 Stockholm Gold winner’s medal
Stockholm 1956 Gold winner’s medal
Incredibly rare gold medal from the Stockholm equestrian events of the Melbourne 1956 Summer Olympics—one of only 12 awarded.
Exceedingly rare and highly sought winner's medal issued for the Stockholm 1956 Summer Olympics equestrian events. Gilt silver, 50 mm, 110 gm, by V. Falireus/John Sjosvard. The front depicts an ancient Greek horse and rider in relief, inscribed with a Swedish legend, "XVI Olympiadens Ryttartavlingar, 1956, Stockholm." The reverse portrays raised imagery of the torch and Olympic rings, with "Jeux Olympiques" above, and the Olympic motto below, "Citius, Altius, Fortius." The edge is stamped with the corresponding hallmark for Lagerstrom and Mjolby. Complete with its hinged blue leather case, gilt-stamped on the lid with the Stockholm 1956 equestrian emblem; the case's metal exterior hinge is broken, but the lid is retained by its white cloth lining.
Due to Australian agricultural quarantine regulations, the equestrian events of Melbourne's XVI Olympiad were held five months earlier in Stockholm, Sweden, making the 1956 Summer Games the second Olympics not to be held entirely in one country; the 1920 Olympics, which Antwerp, Belgium co-hosted with Amsterdam and Ostend, were the first. Given the low number of participants in the equestrian events—158 riders competed in six events—any medal from the Stockholm Games remains incredibly rare and highly sought-after. In total, only 12 of these first-place prize medals were awarded at Stockholm, making it an exceptionally rare Olympic gold medal; this is the first example we have ever offered.
Texts and knowledge from the RR Auctions website. It is estimated at USD200 and bids just now are at USD150 (January 8).
Stay tuned, we will publish some more articles before the next coming days. As I said, it is a great range of items and I am happy to see that Olympic memorabilia seems to be in demand at the moment.