Ernest Riedel, a native of New York City, competed in canoeing from the late 1930’s to the late 1940’s and competed in two Summer Olympic Games and was awarded this Olympic Bronze medal for his third place finish in the 1936 K-1 10000 meter event in Berlin. Olympic medals are an extremely rare find and ones from the controversial 1936 Berlin Olympics are an even more rare find. This offered Bronze Medal was one of 320 bronze medals minted for the 1936 Olympics, the same amount of gold and silver medals produced. This pure bronze medal was designed by noted Italian painter and sculptor Giuseppe Cassioli. Cassioli’s designs were first used in the 1928 games and served as inspiration for all of the medals produced up until the 1972 Games in Munich. The front of the medal features the Greek goddess of victory, Nike, holding a winner’s crown with the Roman Colosseum in the background. “XI OLYMIADE BERLIN 1936” is in raised relief above the Colosseum and to the right of Nike. The back of the medal displays a crowd carrying a victorious athlete on their shoulders. The side has “B.H. MAYER PFORZHEIM” etched.

Additional medals in this lot include a 2-inch diameter medal that has “PRESENTED BY FIORELLO H. LA GUARDIA MAYOR TO” on the top with the New York City crest below and “ERNEST RIEDEL 1936 OLYMPIAN” on the bottom. The reverse has a hand in raised relief holding an olive branch. The next medal is a London Games Participation medal that is made of gilt bronze and is 2 inches in diameter. It has “XIV OLYMPIAD LONDON 1948” and the Olympic rings on the front with a raised image of London on the top. The back has a raised image of two chariot riders being pulled by four horses. The next medal is a 2 ¾-inch diameter participation medal made of bronze that has “XI OLYMPADE” vertically on the left side with a figure on the front with a raised knee and “BERLIN” vertically on the right. The reverse has the Olympic Bell embossed with the German Eagle. The final medal has a blue white and ribbon that shows wear and has “A.A.U OLYMPIC DEVELOPMENT PROGAM” on the front with the US Olympic shield and an angel holding a circular object.

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