COLORADO SPRINGS — The excitement of a win at the Olympics is followed by the proud and often emotional gold medal ceremony.
Some wonder if the medals are real gold. Turns out, the answer is not yes or no. The United States Olympic and Paralympic Museum (USOPM) has a whole wall dedicated to medals.
Turns out, there were no gold medals at the first Olympic Games.
"The first place winners actually got that silver medal, and it's always been full silver and full bronze, but gold medals were introduced in 1904," said Drew Hurdorn, the Guest Experience Supervisor at the USOPM.
The gold medals from those Olympics in St. Louis are both solid gold and rare. It means the one on display in Colorado Springs is valuable beyond the gold.
"...that one is priced at over $1 million," said Hurdorn.
Then, during World War I, precious medals became scarce. For the 1920 Olympics, medals transitioned from solid gold to gold plated.
"They're plated at 18k and that's pretty much been the standard up until now," said Hurdorn.
Even with less gold, the precious medal is still valuable. Each host country creates a unique design for the medal and for athletes, what the medal signifies is priceless.
"They commemorate the spirit of taking part in athleticism alongside other countries and other places," said Hurdorn.
The USOPM is a great place to get your questions answered about the medals because they have one of the most complete collections in the world.
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