First 2012 Summer Olympics Medal at Auction

The first athlete to sell an Olympic gold medal from the 2012 Summer Games in London remains a mystery for now but it’s gold—and it’s now on the auction block. RR Auctions has listed the medal among the items in their Olympic Memorabilia Auction which opened late last week.

The medal is estimated to sell for more than $30,000. The current high bid has already surpassed $20,000 including the buyer’s premium so that could be a low estimate.

According to the auction website, the name of the athlete and the sport will be disclosed only to the winning bidder.

This gold medal is made of gilt silver, is 3.3” in diameter, weighs about 433 grams and has a purple colored ribbon. It is designed by David Watkins and minted by The Royal Mint, UK. The front of the medal features text across the top, “XXX Olympiad London 2012,” above the winged Nike over Panathinaikon Stadium with the Acropolis in the background; the reverse features the London 2012 logo.

A total of 302 Gold Medals were awarded at the 2012 London Summer Olympics. About 10,700 athletes from 205 National Olympic Committees took part in various sporting events during the Olympics.

The medal is one of dozens of Olympic items the Boston-based auction house is offering right now, including medals from Olympics held in 1908 (London), 1912 (Stockholm), 1920 (Antwerp), 1924 (Paris), 1952 (Helsinki), 1960 (Rome), 1980 (Lake Placid) and 1984 (Sarajevo).