The fate of Nobel prize medals
By 
Julia Robinson and 
Ada McVean2024-10-07T08:30:00
Over the years, Nobel prize medals have been stolen, dissolved and auctioned off. We trace what happened to them and the stories they can tell us
Nobel prize medals are not just awards. They carry rich histories that reflect the lives and times of their recipients. In some cases, the Nobel prize medals have not remained with their owners, or even the wider family. In 123 years of the Nobel prize, medals have been stolen, confiscated, dissolved, met with controversy and auctioned off.