Will this silver toned medal straight grade?

Goldminers

There appears to be a fingerprint with makeup foundation, or worse on it and a jagged scratch on the runner probably to check for silver the wrong way. Not sure if restoration could fix this as it would ruin the toning.

Curious as to what others think?

MedalCollector

Yes, it will grade. The TPGs are merciful when it comes to defects on exonumia. Though they are also extremely inconsistent at grading exonumia, so it’s a roll of the dice.

However, I don’t think these defects would even have a coin body-bagged. They appear market-acceptable to me.

This medal is a sitting at a good price now, but expect strong competition.

Edit: It may also be able to be conserved. The spots could possibly be removed and the medal unimpaired, if done properly.

Goldminers

@GoldenEgg said:

This medal is a sitting at a good price now, but expect strong competition.

Thanks for your thoughts on grading. The obverse has no issues, but the reverse would make me think MS64?

Yes, there will be strong interest, but there would be even more competition, if it looked better than this one:

ricko

It may be able to be conserved if the fingerprint oils were absorbed by the 'powder' and not etched into the metal, as usually happens..... Good luck, Cheers, RickO

Goldminers

The medal at the top just sold for $676.66. There were only 835 of these silver medals struck.

Zoins

Wow, I got really interested in these US Mint medals and looked them up. Very low pops!

• Silver 38mm pop 1: https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1973-p-medal-d1973-3c-silver-38mm-jim-thorpe-memorial/76133
• Silver 76mm pop 1: https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1973-p-medal-d1973-3b-silver-76mm-jim-thorpe-memorial/76132
• Bronze 76mm pop 1: https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1973-p-medal-d1973-3e-bronze-76mm-jim-thorpe-memorial/76134
• Gilt Bronze 38 mm pop1: https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1973-p-medal-d1973-3g-gilt-bronze-38mm-jim-thorpe-memorial/76140

Here's the gilt one.

I like the pentagon in the decagon.

Goldminers

Those Thorpe's are some of my favorite NCM's. There is also a more common bronze version like the silver above with 4,821 struck, that I have been looking for in top condition.

All of the 1973 US Mint Thorpe medals are very rare in gem and above condition especially. The large 3-inch, 8.7 ounce silver medal similar to this one, had only 110 struck, and the large bronze only 106.

Edited to say the gilt version had only 200 struck without a bezel loop (shown above), and 200 with.

Goldminers

@Zoins said:
I like the pentagon in the decagon.

The geometric symbols commemorate the fact that he won the pentathlon and the decathlon in the 1912 Stockholm Olympics, the only man to ever accomplish this feat.