MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
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Seen at least 2 events in the winter olympics now where medals have been shared
How's that work?
Do they have to 'borrow' one for the ceremony and then hurriedly make an extra one to post to the winner or do they cast extra medals for each event, just in case?
If so what happens to those extra medals when not needed, are they melted down again (or do they appear on ebay 🙂 )
I'm sure there's a box of 100 or so extra for Putin to give to all his mates...
I'm sure there are a bunch of medals cast, in all three 'flavours', ready for all eventualities. I really can't imagine, for one second, that each medal is made specifically for each recipient. They don't even do that for the George and Victoria Crosses.
I've been trying trying to find out, but for London 2012, 4700 medals were made by the Royal Mint: http://www.royalmint.com/discover/london-2012/making-of-the-london-2012-olympic-medals
They mint extras, I'm not sure if they have the event details engraved but that's easy to do after results are known and most medal ceremonies are a little while after the event, some are even the next day.
They'll definitely have spares made in advance, the medals aren't actually made from the material as their name suggests...
well
Only they silver medal could be called silver. the gold is made from silver with about 5% gold. Bronze is a copper/zinc alloy
wellOnly they silver medal could be called silver. the gold is made from silver with about 5% gold. Bronze is a copper/zinc alloy
So that makes 2 medals then! Silver and Bronze medals!
Medals must be 3mm thick and gold medals should have at least 6g of gold plated ono them
Would be some big winners if they actually made them in gold.... the current sochi medals would scrap in at 25K a piece if they were finegold!
Think you'd probably see a few more of them on ebay if that was the case... 😉
Having been involved (can't say how on a public forum, but it wasn't exciting!) with the 2012 medals I can say for definite there will be a few extras of each available. They will be ungraved/stamped so the discipline can be added at a later stage. The 2012 spares were melted down after the games, only two were needed after a pair didn't arrive in time for the medal ceremony.