1908 British Olympics medals sell for $26,360 in London

A trio of British Olympic medals from the 1908 London Games has sold within estimate

A collection of three bronze, silver and gold medals from the London 1908 Olympics have sold well at a London, UK auction this morning (July 24).

The three medals, all awarded to Great Britain competitors, sold for £17,000 in a single lot, comfortably within the £15,000-20,000 high estimate.

The £17,000 result is more than simply "Olympic fever" at work

The gold medal was awarded to Charles Sydney, a member of the winning water polo team, while the silver medal was given to a runner up in the running deer competition, a shooting event incorporating a moving deer-shaped target.

The bronze medal was won by William Webb in the bantam boxing competition, an event in which Great Britain took all three prizes.

An original Stockholm 1912 poster also sold within estimate, achieving £2,600. Stockholm was the first time an Olympics had featured an official poster.

A typescript of a never published official report from the 1920 Games sold for £8,500.

As auctioneer Graham Budd recently told us ahead of the sale, the piece presented a "unique opportunity" for collectors.

"Times were still very difficult and the organising committee went bankrupt," he said.

"They were therefore unable to publish the traditional official report, detailing all the results as well as putting on record all the organisational aspects."

The sale is a clear indication of the current appetite for Olympic memorabilia with collectors, one that Budd believes is more than simply Olympic fever ahead of the Games.

"I think it reflects the auction market in general since the banking crisis, the very top end of all arts, antiques and collectibles markets are soaring away," he said.

A charity auction in Birmingham, UK last night saw a pair of Usain Bolt's track spikes sell for £25,000.

You can view our sports memorabilia portfolio here.

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Images: Graham Budd Auctions