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Lot # 184: 1904 Olympic Silver Medal for Golf Presented to Chandler Egan

Starting Bid: $20,000.00

Bids: 7 (Bid History)

Time Left: Auction closed
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Item was in Auction "Invit17",
which ran from 5/23/2017 10:30 AM to
6/30/2017 9:00 PM



Gentleman golfer Henry Chandler Egan’s Olympic Silver Winner's Medal for the famed showdown versus Canadian George Lyon in the 1904 Olympic Games in St. Louis, Missouri. Of tremendous significance because of the rarity of Olympic golf winner’s medals of which previously only one other has sold publicly. One of the most thrilling discoveries of modern collecting, these incredibly rare and significant medals (his Gold Medal is also in this auction) were discovered in the home of his daughter, Eleanor Everett, after her death in 2012. Buried on a shelf in a small metal box was a treasure trove of Olympian dimensions. Chandler Egan’s grandson, Morris Everett Jr., immediately recognized the historic significance as well as the monetary value of the collection. Everett is a collectibles pioneer, one of the top movie posters collectors, as well as the co-founder of The Everett Collection, one of the leading image archives in the world. These medals are being consigned directly by the Everett Family and will include their Letter of Authenticity. After their discovery, the medals went on display in 2016 at the USGA Museum during the U.S. Open and the World Golf Hall of Fame. 1904 Olympic gold medals as well as all the memorabilia for the 1904 Olympic Games are especially difficult to find. Only the third Games of the Modern Olympic Movement, the early nature of the event is a factor in aridity. The Olympics had not yet reached anywhere near the level of popularity it holds today. Also, the 1904 Olympics was not a standalone event. A small subsection inside of the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, they were overshadowed by the pomp and circumstance of a World’s Fair. However, golf winner’s medals are true rarities. Golf was an event in the Olympics in ONLY in 1900 and 1904. Therefore, the number of medals is incredibly scant when compared to other events. Finally, golf was brought back in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio and the interest in the sport as an Olympic event has risen exponentially. This is proven by the fact that the 1904 Olympic Gold Winner’s Medal for golf presented to Robert E. Hunter realized $ 272,580 USD at Christie’s in 2016. Stunning medal in silver, brilliant front design is cast in relief with a golf-bag, thistles and a banner inscribed 'GOLF'. The top bar is inscribed '1904 UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION…OLYMPIC GAMES…ST. LOUIS'. Verso inscribed: 'GLEN ECHO COUNTRY CLUB…Olympic Runner-Up …H.C. Egan. Stamped by the maker: “MERMOD & JACCARD. JEWELRY CO. ST. LOUIS”. Measures approximately 2x1.5”. NM condition. BIOGRAPHY: Chandler Egan was the greatest U.S. amateur golfer of his time. After his silver medal individual and his gold medal team wins in the 1904 Olympics he went on to play for a total of 33 years in the game. The iron man of the sport, in 1934, he was named to the Walker Cup team and remains the oldest American to ever play in that event. Egan went into partnership with famed golf course architect Alistair Mackenzie, with whom he helped design and redesign several courses and even assisted Jack Neville with the design of the Pebble Beach Golf Links.

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