A silver medal from the first modern Olympic Games in Athens 1896 was sold at a Danish auction for nearly four times its estimated price. The medal, featuring French artist Jules Chaplain's depiction of Zeus holding a ball with Nike (goddess of victory) and an olive branch, and on the reverse the Acropolis and Parthenon with a Greek inscription "International Olympic Games - Athens 1896", was sold for 900,000 Danish kroner (141,658 US dollars) excluding buyer's premium. The medal was expected to fetch between 200,000 and 300,000 Danish kroner (31,480 - 47,220 US dollars). At the online auction held by Bruun Rasmussen Arts Auctioneers, the medal sold for 1,152,000 Danish kroner (181,323 US dollars) including all fees. A total of 241 athletes from 14 countries, including Denmark, participated in the 1896 Olympics.
