Melt the gold or not?

jamison20000e · 09-02-2016, 06:08 PM

Why would you've competed in the first place?

Rinndalir · 09-02-2016, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vmccord

for many of the Olympic sports there is no money for the athletes. Nobody on the curling team or canoe team gets endorsements that amount to any real money.

Might be because most kids don't have a chance to do curling so they don't say "I want to grow up to be an olympic curler". So curlers aren't role models like a swimmer is. Some sports inspire more than others.

Back to the question. Why not just got a reasonable facsimile of the medal made. Then melt the real one down and keep the cash. Put the fake one in a display case to prevent close inspection. No one will know. Okay they find out after you're gone when they try to sell it off.

273 · 09-03-2016, 03:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rinndalir

Back to the question. Why not just got a reasonable facsimile of the medal made. Then melt the real one down and keep the cash. Put the fake one in a display case to prevent close inspection. No one will know. Okay they find out after you're gone when they try to sell it off.

Because the silver is only worth a few hundred dollars so unless you're going to sell it as-is it's not worth selling unless you're earning less than the minimum wage in most western countries. In fact, I bet that having a replica made would cost more than the value of the silver in the medal so even if you're desperate for cash the only options are to sell the medal as-is or sell it as metal and it has already been established that they will fetch about 10 times as much as-is.

vmccord · 09-04-2016, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamison20000e

Why would you've competed in the first place?

Glory! Actually, deep down, I'm just a jock.

jamison20000e · 09-04-2016, 05:41 PM

I do for fun (then there's no need for further motivation

) plus beneficially live longer &c.

Rinndalir · 09-16-2016, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 273

I bet that having a replica made would cost more than the value of the silver in the medal

3D printing to the rescue. A can of silver spray paint.

273 · 09-17-2016, 12:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rinndalir

3D printing to the rescue. A can of silver spray paint.

That wouldn't be anything like convincing -- the tolerances would be all wrong.

hydrurga · 09-17-2016, 01:21 AM

I wouldn't melt it down for money for myself, but I would do it for someone else who really needed it or for charity, following in the footsteps of those such as Anthony Ervin and the more recent Piotr Malachowski. They're guys who recognise the true value of things.