According to The New York Times, some Olympic medals have been sold for major dollars, and most of them have been obtained by prospective buyers through auction sales. Apparently, some Olympians have been putting their prized medals up for sale for years now. If not auctions, the medals can be found at pawn shops.
Per the Times article, a silver medal from the inaugural 1896 Athens Olympics sold for $180,111. Then a gold medal awarded to someone on Team USA's basketball team in 1984 recently sold for $83,188.
But not every medal has been wagered that much. A 1900-era silver medal was sold for $1,283, and a 1956 Games bronze medal sold for $3,750. It has not always been clear which Olympian has given up their Olympic medals, but former NBA player Bill Russell told the Times that he is giving up his medal, along with other prized sporting jewelry. for charity purposes.
