Gold medal

Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture.

Many organizations now award gold medals either annually or extraordinarily, including various academic societies.

In the United States, Congress would enact a resolution asking the President to reward those responsible.

The custom of awarding the sequence of gold, silver, and bronze medals for the first three highest achievers dates from at least the 19th century, with the National Association of Amateur Athletes in the United States awarding such medals as early as 1884.

At the 1896 event, silver was awarded to winners and bronze to runners-up, while in 1900 other prizes were given, not medals.

At the modern Olympic Games, winners of a sporting discipline receive a gold medal in recognition of their achievement.

Aristophanes in Plutus makes a remark why victorious athletes are crowned with wreaths made of wild olive instead of gold.

When Tigranes, an Armenian general, learned this, he uttered to his leader: "Good heavens!

The gold, silver and bronze medals of the 1964 Olympic Winter Games ( Olympic Museum ).
A medal on a ribbon designed to be worn around the winner's neck.
At the 1896 Summer Olympics , the winners received a silver medal . Since 1904 , the winners receive a gold medal, the second-place finishers receive a silver medal and the third-place finishers receive a bronze medal .