When Does Silver Become Gold?

[AJF]

Answer - Around the neck of an Olympic Champion!

Who thinks the IOC should give all Olympic Champions solid gold medals?

The attached was lifted from a web article:-

The medals for the champion and the runner-up are made of pure silver. Contrary to what many folks might believe, the champion's gold medal is not made of solid gold, but is constructed instead of solid silver covered with a heavy plated coating of gold weighing not less than six grams per each medal. The gold is applied in an electrolytic process similar to other gold, copper or chrome industrial plating operations, but the coating is thicker. The plating process takes place after the medal has been struck.

It does not feel right given the revenue a modern Summer Olympics generates that arguably the greatest Olympic Champion Michael Phelps goes home with solid silver medals which are gold plated.

What are TRF'ers thoughts?

AJF.

[Goodwatch]

It does not matter. The medals are symbols. They are NOT meant to be sold for cash. The first champions (the antique Olympics) only received laurels. Literally. It was an honour to participate and it should still be And you don't have to worry about Mickey, he received an 800K bonus.

[toph]

firstly i do think they should be made of gold but-
that is the least Phelps and other medal winners have to worry about- they often become national hereos and gain huge sponsorship deals etc. so i think it is the honour rather than the medal itself that is the real triumph.

[AJF]

Originally Posted by Goodwatch

It does not matter. The medals are symbols. They are NOT meant to be sold for cash. The first champions (the antique Olympics) only received laurels. Literally. It was an honour to participate and it should still be And you don't have to worry about Mickey, he received an 800K bonus.

But try explaining that to a child.

Michael Phelps returns to his elementary school to show off the medals. One little boy/girl asks him "are they solid gold?" He answers truthfully "No!" Imagine the look in their eyes.

AJF

[toph]

Originally Posted by AJF

But try explaining that to a child.

Michael Phelps returns to his elementary school to show off the medals. One little boy/girl asks him "are they solid gold?" He answers truthfully "No!" Imagine the look in their eyes.

AJF

i think they might be a bit more interested in the fact he is the greatest olympian ever

[TswaneNguni]

Anyone winning gold at the Olympics is worth his/her weight in gold.

For my part,the medals should be real gold.Why not !!

[Goodwatch]

Originally Posted by AJF

But try explaining that to a child.

Michael Phelps returns to his elementary school to show off the medals. One little boy/girl asks him "are they solid gold?" He answers truthfully "No!" Imagine the look in their eyes.

AJF

What do you say to your three year old when she shows you her first drawing, three purple lines with a red dot? You say: "That is beautiful, well done". So he says, "Yes, they are made of almost solid gold. With silver inside because pure gold is very soft!".

[AJF]

Originally Posted by toph

i think they might be a bit more interested in the fact he is the greatest olympian ever

Runners-up gets solid medals (silver and bronze), but not solid gold for the champion!!!

AJF.

[toph]

Originally Posted by AJF

Runners-up gets solid medals (silver and bronze), but not solid gold for the champion!!!

AJF.

i do agree overall- but i think that the honour of being olympic champion is far more important to the atheletes and observers that a solid gold medal

[Letsgodiving]

I noticed it looks like the back side of the Beijing medals are filled with some other type of material also. If it is financially feasible I think gold should be solid gold.

[Goodwatch]

Originally Posted by Letsgodiving

I noticed it looks like the back side of the Beijing medals are filled with some other type of material also. If it is financially feasible I think gold should be solid gold.

Yes, it is jade. A semi precious stone. A nice design!

[Letsgodiving]

Originally Posted by Goodwatch

Yes, it is jade. A semi precious stone. A nice design!

I was wondering about that. Thanks for the info. I agree.

[AJF]

The XX Olympic Winter Games (Torino 2006) medals had holes in the middle like polo mints.

I think the IOC was on an economy drive that year.

AJF

[Goodwatch]

I don't think the Olympic champions really care. Some of our gold medallist are common people with day jobs. They have worked years and years to be qualified and winning an Olympic medal is the ultimate achievement for many athletes. The medal symbolises that ultimate goal. After that, they will end up in a display case or a vault. It doesn't matter if it's solid gold or not. The athlete that wants to hawk or sell their medal isn't worth it anyway.

[Letsgodiving]

To me it's the principle of it. I'm sure the vast majority of the gold medals will be cherished items for the winner irrespective of the intrinsic value of the gold but to bestow the highest honour on these athletes such as a "gold" medal it seems to me it should be solid gold.

I'm assuming they were at one point solid gold. When did they change or have they always be gold plated?

[Goodwatch]

Originally Posted by Letsgodiving

To me it's the principle of it. I'm sure the vast majority of the gold medals will be cherished items for the winner irrespective of the intrinsic value of the gold but to bestow the highest honour on these athletes such as a "gold" medal it seems to me it should be solid gold.

I'm assuming they were at one point solid gold. When did they change or have they always be gold plated?

This is the principle:

The term refers to a winner's prize at the modern Olympic Games because medals were not awarded at the ancient games. In 1896, winners received a silver medal; the second place received a bronze medal, the third none at all. In 1900, most winners received cups or trophies instead of medals.

The custom of the sequence of gold-silver-bronze for the first three places dates from the 1904 games and has been adopted by many other sporting events. Minting of the medals is the responsibility of the host city. From 1928-1968 the design always was the same: the obverse showed a generic design by Florentine artist Giuseppe Cassioli with text giving the host city; the reverse showed another generic design of an Olympic champion.

From 1972-2000, Cassioli's design (or a slight reworking) remained on the obverse with a custom design by the host city on the reverse. Noting that Cassioli's design showed a Roman amphitheatre for what originally were Greek games, a new obverse design was commissioned for the Athens 2004 Games. Winter Olympics medals have been of more varied design. The silver and bronze medals have always borne the same designs. The term "gold" refers to colour, not metallic content (as the medals may contain as little as 6 grams of gold).

[redshirt1957]

In modern day Olympics what does Gold, Silver, and Bronze represent? First, second, and third. Simple. For the athletes that do not win a medal what is their gift? Representing their country, meeting other athletes from around the world, a time in their life they will always remember, and the joy of competing against the best.

[Letsgodiving]

Wikipedia is a great thing.

I just wonder whether this is more of a profit driven decision than one of principle. As they say most gold medals are plated with "notable exceptions, made of solid gold, are the Lorentz Medal, the United States Congressional Gold Medal, and the Nobel Prize medal."

[AJF]

The last Olympic gold medals that were made entirely out of gold were awarded in 1912.

I suspect they changed to silver/gilt in order to save money. Attached from Wikipedia:-

The 1912 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the V Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1912 in Stockholm, Sweden. For the first time, competitors in the Games came from all five continents symbolized in the Olympic rings. Also for the first time since 1896, all athletic events were held within a reasonably short time span of about one month, from late June to late July (though the opening ceremony was still held much earlier). It was the last time that solid gold medals were awarded; modern medals are usually gold plated silver.

AJF

[Goodwatch]

Originally Posted by Letsgodiving

Wikipedia is a great thing.

I just wonder whether this is more of a profit driven decision than one of principle. As they say most gold medals are plated with "notable exceptions, made of solid gold, are the Lorentz Medal, the United States Congressional Gold Medal, and the Nobel Prize medal."

You were talking about Olympic medals, not all the others. I concur with the Wiki statement. It is a symbol. It is NOT about the intrinsic value.

[Jimbits76]

Nice post Joe.

Our girl came 6th in the 100m ladies final.

She was interviewd and absolutely over the moon that she is now the 6th fastest woman in the world.

I bet a medal would have been nice for her but at that point she didn't care.

Good on her!

J

[Jimbits76]

Originally Posted by Letsgodiving

Wikipedia is a great thing.

I just wonder whether this is more of a profit driven decision than one of principle. As they say most gold medals are plated with "notable exceptions, made of solid gold, are the Lorentz Medal, the United States Congressional Gold Medal, and the Nobel Prize medal."

Right, I'm off to work on winning that Nobel Prize!

J

[Goodwatch]

Originally Posted by Jimbits76

Right, I'm off to work on winning that Nobel Prize!

J

You have to put in much more than that 10 page book of yours I'm about to prove that Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity was, ehh, well, ehh, you'll find out later Now where's that bottle of Gin?

[Jimbits76]

Originally Posted by Goodwatch

You have to put in much more than that 10 page book of yours I'm about to prove that Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity was, ehh, well, ehh, you'll find out later Now where's that bottle of Gin?

I'll have you know that my magnificent future masterwork; Wizpop the Bear goes to the Beach" will unite nations, colour and creed and win me than shiny shiny gold thingy

J

[Goodwatch]

Originally Posted by Jimbits76

I'll have you know that my magnificent future masterwork; Wizpop the Bear goes to the Beach" will unite nations, colour and creed and win me than shiny shiny gold thingy

J

With the deepest apologies to the OP for our blatant hijack. Jim, I would do a bit more research on the term 'Bear' if I were you, before using it in a work of fiction

[Mars]

So what's the Silver medal - bit of brass with rhodium plating? And the Bronze medal - bit of lead with copper plating. If it's a Gold medal, it should be made of GOLD. Nothing to do with intrinsic value, etc. Just the principle.

[AJF]

Originally Posted by Mars

So what's the Silver medal - bit of brass with rhodium plating? And the Bronze medal - bit of lead with copper plating. If it's a Gold medal, it should be made of GOLD. Nothing to do with intrinsic value, etc. Just the principle.

Silver and bronze are as per the label on the tin. Only gold is silver/gilt.

AJF.

[Steven79]

Originally Posted by Goodwatch

It does not matter. The medals are symbols. They are NOT meant to be sold for cash. The first champions (the antique Olympics) only received laurels. Literally. It was an honour to participate and it should still be And you don't have to worry about Mickey, he received an 800K bonus.

I concur!

[Mars]

Originally Posted by AJF

Silver and bronze are as per the label on the tin. Only gold is silver/gilt.

AJF.

My point exactly