Striking Gold: How the French added an extra je ne sais quoi to the 2024 Olympic Medals
Winning an Olympic gold medal is a crowning achievement for an athlete, so it’s only fitting that the physical medal represents the significance. Every Olympic Games boasts a unique medal design.
Still, Paris 2024 is particularly notable because winning athletes will take home a piece of the Eiffel Tower, an iconic landmark of the host city. The medals awarded at this year's Summer Games are embellished with pieces of the Eiffel Tower.
An 18-gram hexagonal fragment of iron taken from the iconic Paris landmark, which was built for the 1889 World’s Fair, is embedded in each gold, silver and bronze medal. When the Eiffel Tower underwent renovations in the 20th century, they preserved and stored pieces of the original iron. Those chunks make up the hexagon figure in the middle of the Olympic gold medal, connecting the athletes and the audience to a rich historical past. The Eiffel Tower had a staring role in the Paris 2024 opening ceremony. From beaming lights and the Olympic rings to Celine Dion's comeback performance, “La Tour Eiffel” showcased its grandeur to the world. And now, it will be part of the athletes’ medal collections.
Rael Demby, CEO of The South African Gold Coin Exchange & The Scoin Shop, says, “ Winning a gold medal is already incredible. But the French have truly added their pièce de résistance. The iron pieces are engraved with the phrase "Paris 2024," along with the image of the Olympic torch and five Olympic rings. The Paris 2024 medals will be highly prized, and enthusiastic numismatists will be scoping them out.”
Numismatics is the study or collection of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money, medals, and related objects. It is considered both a hobby and a field of study. Demby adds, “It often bridges the gap between amateur collecting and academic research. There is even a particular category called Exonumia - which refers to the study and collection of coin-like objects such as tokens, medals, and other items not used as currency. This is where the actual Olympic medals would fall. “
The Monnaie de Paris has created an innovative collection of coins and tokens that spotlight various sporting codes, places, and icons of the Games. This includes the Gold Collection of Hexagonals ( coins) and the Mascots and Sport range. Armchair athletes won’t bring home any medals, but fans can create memories with any coins from the Paris 2024 catalogue. The South African Gold Coin Exchange & The Scoin Shop are the market leaders for buying and selling gold coins - from investment Krugerrands, rare coins and collectable modern numismatics. They are the exclusive distributors of Monnaie de Paris’ Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024 collection.
