Owner Comments:
Almost all of the first place or "Gold Medal" awards presented from the Expo are gilt bronze. The exception are the few that were actually struck in Gold. Very little is known at this time about actual mintages of all the medals, but the current thought is maybe 10 or so were struck in Gold. Of that original mintage, maybe 2 or 3 exist today.
1.) At the Fun (Coin) Show in Orlando, FL in 2013, I spoke with a dealer about my interest in Pan Am medals. He had mentioned that many years ago an actual gold example of the award medal was available for purchase. He mentioned that a few dealers passed on the medal, which he recalled had a rim ding. He said that J. Cline purchased it. J. Cline specialized in standing liberty quarters, a coin which was designed by Hermon McNeil, who also designed the award medal. I immediately walked across the bourse and was fortunate enough to speak with Mr. Cline. He confirmed that he did indeed own a gold example, but did not supply anymore details other than the edge indicated it was gold. I had showed him my gilt bronze medal, which I just happened to have with me as I was going to re-submit to NGC as the first time it was returned as not slabbed - plated much to my disappointment. He commented that it looked to be high grade (which it was, eventually grading at MS65 and is shown in this set). I also showed him my silver medal (MS60 also shown in this set) and he mentioned that he had a bronze, silver-plated medal example with just the design (such as the Indians on the reverse) only silver plated and the fields remaining unplated bronze. I cannot confirm that and have never seen any similar plated pieces like that. The following year I had a chance to speak with Mr. Cline again briefly about the gold medal, it did not learn any additional information. At that time he happened to be selling a silver example of the medal which was displayed in the case at his table. A recent Coin World article quotes dealer Anthony Terranova was once examining Mr. Cline's gold medal recounting that it was unawares, meaning that there was no name o the winner on the piece. Interestingly, in J. Cline's book about Standing Liberty Quarters, he does mention the medal and shows a picture. If that is a picture of his gold medal, it does appear to have a name of a winner on it.
2.) Rago Arts offered a gold example . Eldridge
The example is graded by NGC as uncirculated details, scratched, bent.