At the time of original publication, the article described the following: At both Summer and Winter Olympic medal ceremonies, viewers may recognize a familiar moment. After receiving gold, a winning athlete often leaves the podium and bites the medal while smiling for cameras. Since gold is soft, an old belief holds that biting it can test purity by showing whether gold covers a harder, less valuable metal. Coin dealers note that this is not a reliable purity test. Even so, the playful gesture continues. Modern gold medals are not solid gold, so what are they actually made from?
The First Olympic Games
The modern Olympic Games have roots in the eighth century B.C., when Greek city-states competed with one another in numerous athletic events. The games returned in 1896 and have operated under the International Olympic Committee’s oversight ever since. In the earliest modern Olympics, medals really were solid gold. Host committees had to mint the medals and often purchased gold coins or bars for melting. Stockholm awarded the final pure-gold medals in 1912.
At the time of original publication, the article described the following: What Are “Gold” Medals Made of Today?
At the time of publication, the IOC had strict rules governing gold medals. Although each host country could exercise some creativity in a medal’s design and size, it had to meet baseline requirements. Every medal had to measure at least 60 mm, or about 2.4 inches, in diameter and be 3 mm thick. Gold medals required at least 6 grams of gold over sterling silver (92.5% pure silver). Medals could be larger or use more gold, but these were the general modern Olympic standards.
When this article was originally published, Atlanta Gold & Coin Buyers was reported not to carry Olympic medals, but to have an extensive inventory of gold, silver, and platinum coins and bullion, along with rare coins for sale. The original article also stated that Atlanta Gold & Coin Buyers would buy gold coins and other items at fair prices after a free appraisal. It characterized the business as among Atlanta metro’s most trusted and transparent precious-metal and coin dealers. At publication, readers were invited to call (404) 236-9744 for information or an appointment.
