TheNobel Prize medal is agold medal given to recipients of theNobel Prizes ofChemistry,Literature,Peace,Physics andPhysiology or Medicine since 1901. The medal for theNobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, given since 1968, is awarded with the aforementioned prizes.

The medals are struck in 18-caratgreen gold plated with 24-carat gold and weigh about 175 grams (0.386 lb) each, with the exception of the Economic prize medal which weighs 185g.

The recipients also receive a diploma that details their achievements, and a monetary award from theNobel Foundation.^[1] The voting members of theRoyal Swedish Academy of Sciences, theNobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute, and theSwedish Academy receive smaller replicas of the prize medals.^[1] The chemistry, literature, physics, and physiology or medicine prizes are known as the 'Swedish medals'.^[1]

Each medal has a portrait ofAlfred Nobel in left profile on theobverse. The medals for Chemistry, Literature, Physics, and Physiology or Medicine have identical obverses, showing the image of Nobel and the years of his birth and death. Nobel's portrait also appears on the obverse of the Peace Prize medal and the Economics Prize medal, but with a slightly different portrait.^[2] The names of the chemistry, medicine, literature and physics prize recipients are engraved on the reverse of the medal on a small plate. The names of the peace and economic prize recipients are engraved on the edges of their medals.^[2] The Chemistry, Literature, Physics, and Physiology or Medicine medals were designed byErik Lindberg. The Peace prize medal was designed byGustav Vigeland, and the Economics prize medal by Gunvor Svensson-Lundqvist.^[2]

The inaugural Nobel laureates of 1901 received a 'temporary' medal that was struck in a lesser metal than gold.^[2] The first medals were eventually struck in September 1902. The delay was due to the designs needing to be approved by each respective awarding institution. The medals were designed by the sculptorErik Lindberg.^[2]

Between 1902 and 2010 the Nobel Prize medals were struck by theMyntverket, the Swedish royalmint, located inEskilstuna. In 2011 the medals were made by Det Norske Myntverket inKongsberg. The medals have been made by Svenska Medalj in Eskilstuna since 2012 with the exception of the peace prize medal which is made by the Det Norske Myntverket.^[2]

The medals for the Nobel Prizes inPhysics andChemistry are identical in design.^[2] They are given by theRoyal Swedish Academy of Sciences.^[3] The reverse of the medal depicts theGoddess of Nature in the form ofIsis as she emerges from clouds holding acornucopia. The Genius of Science holds the veil which covers Nature's 'cold and austere face'.^[3] It was designed by Erik Lindberg and is manufactured by Svenska Medalj inEskilstuna.^[3] It is inscribed "Inventas vitam iuvat excoluisse per artes" ("It is beneficial to have improved (human) life through discovered arts") an adaptation of "Inventas aut qui vitam excoluere per artes" from line 663 from book 6 of theAeneid by the Roman poetVirgil.^[4] A plate below the figures is inscribed with the name of the recipient. The text "REG. ACAD. SCIENT. SUEC." denoting the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences is inscribed on the reverse.^[3]

The medal for theNobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is given by theNobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute.^[4] The reverse of the medal depicts the 'Genius of Medicine holding an open book in her lap, collecting the water pouring out from a rock in order to quench a sick girl's thirst'.^[4] It is inscribed "Inventas vitam iuvat excoluisse per artes" ("It is beneficial to have improved (human) life through discovered arts") an adaptation of "inventas aut qui vitam excoluere per artes" from line 663 from book 6 of theAeneid by the Roman poetVirgil.^[4] A plate below the figures is inscribed with the name of the recipient. The text "REG. UNIVERSITAS MED. CHIR. CAROL." denoting theKarolinska Institute is also inscribed on the reverse.^[4] It was designed by Erik Lindberg and is manufactured by Svenska Medalj inEskilstuna.^[4]

The medal for theNobel Prize in Literature is given by theSwedish Academy.^[5] The reverse of the medal depicts a ' ... young man sitting under a laurel tree who, enchanted, listens to and writes down the song of the Muse'.^[5] The 1923 recipient of the literature medal,W. B. Yeats wrote in his 1925 bookThe Bounty of Sweden that the medal was " ... charming, decorative, academic design, French in manner, a work of the nineties. It shows a young man listening to a Muse, who stands young and beautiful with a great lyre in her hand, and I think as I examine it, 'I was good-looking once like that young man, but my unpractised verse was full of infirmity, my Muse old as it were; and now I am old and rheumatic, and nothing to look at, but my Muse is young".^[2] It is inscribed "Inventas vitam iuvat excoluisse per artes" ("It is beneficial to have improved (human) life through discovered arts") an adaptation of "inventas aut qui vitam excoluere per artes" from line 663 from book 6 of theAeneid by the Roman poetVirgil.^[5] A plate below the figures is inscribed with the name of the recipient. The text "ACAD. SUEC." denoting theSwedish Academy is also inscribed on the reverse.^[5] It was designed by Erik Lindberg and is manufactured by Svenska Medalj inEskilstuna.^[5]

The medal for theNobel Peace Prize was designed by the Norwegian sculptorGustav Vigeland in 1901. Vigeland's profile sculpture of Alfred Nobel differs from Lindberg's. Thedies for Vigeland's peace medal were made by Lindberg as Vigeland was not an engraver.^[6] The reverse of the medal features three men in a 'fraternal bond' and the inscription 'Pro pace et fraternitate gentium' ("For the peace and brotherhood of men").^[6] The edge of the medal is inscribed with the year of its awarding, with the name of its recipient and "Prix Nobel de la Paix".^[6]

The medal for theNobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences was designed by Gunvor Svensson-Lundqvist in 1968.^[7] The obverse of the medal depictsAlfred Nobel and the words "Sveriges Riksbank till Alfred Nobels Minne 1968" ("The Sveriges Riksbank, in memory of Alfred Nobel, 1968") with the symbol of theSveriges Riksbank, thehorn of plenty, displayed below. The name of the recipient is inscribed on the edge of the medal.^[7] The reverse features the emblem of theRoyal Swedish Academy of Sciences, theNorth Star, in a design from 1815.^[7] "Kungliga Vetenskaps Akademien" ("The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences") is inscribed around the edge of the star.^[7] It is the only medal without a quotation on its reverse. Since 2012 the economics medal has been manufactured by Svenska Medalj inEskilstuna.^[7]

The medals are struck in 18 caratgreen gold plated with 24 carat gold. All medals made before 1980 were struck in 23carat gold. The weight of each medal varies with the value of gold, but averages about 175 grams (0.386 lb) for each medal, with the exception of theNobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences which weighs 185g. The diameter is 66 millimetres (2.6 in) and the thickness varies between 5.2 millimetres (0.20 in) and 2.4 millimetres (0.094 in).^[2]

During World War II, the medals of German scientistsMax von Laue andJames Franck were sent to Copenhagen for safekeeping. When Germany invaded Denmark, Hungarian chemist (and Nobel laureate himself)George de Hevesy dissolved them inaqua regia (nitro-hydrochloric acid), to prevent confiscation byNazi Germany and to prevent legal problems for the holders. After the war, the gold was recovered from solution, and the medals re-cast.^[8]

TheNobel Institute places no restrictions on the ownership of the medal and the accompanying diploma and prize money once it has been awarded to the recipient.^[9] If the recipient chooses not to keep them, they may be sold, donated, or given away.^[6] The dedicatee cannot be changed and the prizes cannot be revoked.^[9]

Laureate	Image	Category and Year	Year of theft	Detail of theft	Status
Ernest Hemingway		Literature, 1954	1986	Hemingway donated his Nobel medal to theCatholic Church in Cuba, specifically to the Marian shrine ofOur Lady of Charity at theBasílica Santuario Nacional de Nuestra Señora de la Caridad del Cobre. It was stolen in 1986.[27]Raúl Castro reportedly told the thieves 'Return the medal within 72 hours or face the consequences. I know who you are'. The medal was subsequently recovered.[28]	Recovered.[27]
Rabindranath Tagore		Literature, 1913	2004	Stolen in 2004 from a museum in West Bengal.[29][30] In 2016, a local singer accused of sheltering the thieves was arrested, but the medal could not be recovered. Interrogation revealed that a Bangladeshi national, along with two Europeans, were involved in the theft.[31][32] Two replicas, one in gold and one in silver were later presented to Viswa Bharati University by the Swedish government.[33] Tagore's medal remained missing as of 2024, the Chief Minister of West Bengal,Mamata Banerjee, described the failure of police to find the medal as "big insult" for the people of Bengal.[34]	Missing as of 2024[34]
Ernest O. Lawrence		Physics, 1939	2007	Stolen in 2007 from the E. O. Lawrence Memorial Room at theLawrence Hall of Science at theUniversity of California, Berkeley where it had been on display.[35] It was recovered a few days later and a student working as a janitor at the hall was arrested.[35]	Recovered, currently on display at theLawrence Hall of Science at theUniversity of California, Berkeley[36]
Yasser Arafat		Peace, 1994	2007	Stolen in June 2007.[37]	Unknown
Desmond Tutu		Peace, 1984	2007	Stolen in June 2007 from his home in Johannesburg and recovered a week later.[38]	Recovered a week after theft.[38]
Shirin Ebadi		Peace, 2003	2009	In October 2009 Ebadi's medal was taken from her bank box alongside herLégion d'honneur and a ring she had received from Germany's association of journalists.[39] She said they had been taken by Iran's Revolutionary Court.[39][40][41] Ebadi also said her bank account was frozen by authorities.[39][42][43] The Norwegian Minister of Foreign AffairsJonas Gahr Støre expressed his "shock and disbelief" at the incident.[39] The Iranian foreign ministry subsequently denied the confiscation, and also criticized Norway for interfering in Iran's affairs.[44][45]	Unknown
Arthur Henderson		Peace, 1934	2013	Stolen in a burglary of the office of the Lord Mayor of Newcastle on 3 April 2013.[46] A man was subsequently jailed for the theft; the medal has never been recovered.[47]	Unknown[47]
Kailash Satyarthi		Peace, 2014	2017	Stolen in February 2017 and subsequently recovered.[48][49]	Recovered[49]
F. W. de Klerk		Peace, 1993	2022	Stolen from his home in November 2022.[50]	Unknown

Laureate	Image	Category and Year	Year of Sale	Details	Price
Norman Angell		Peace, 1933	1983	Sold at auction atSotheby's, London, in 1983.[51] Now in the collection of theImperial War Museum, London.[52]	$12,000 (equivalent to $37,884 in 2024)[51]
Niels Bohr		Physics, 1922	1940	Sold alongside the medal of 1920 physiology or medicine recipientAugust Krogh on 12 March 1940 to raise funds for the Fund for Finnish Relief (Finlandshjälpen) duringWorld War II. Subsequently, donated to theDanish Historical Museum of Fredrikborg.[53]
Aage Bohr		Physics, 1975	2019	Sold at Heritage Auctions in April 2019. Previously sold at Bruun Rasmussen Auction in November 2011.[54]	$90,000 (equivalent to $110,687 in 2024)[54]
Francis Crick		Medicine, 1962	2013	Sold at Heritage Auctions in June 2013 to Jack Wang, the CEO of Chinese medical company Biomobie. The diploma that Crick received from the Nobel prize committee was sold with the medal.[55][56] 20% of the sale price of the medal was donated to theFrancis Crick Institute in London.[56]	$2,270,000 (equivalent to $3,064,176 in 2024)[57]
William Cremer		Peace, 1903	1985	Sold at auction at Sotheby's, London in November 1985.[57]	$16,750 (equivalent to $48,970 in 2024)[57]
William Faulkner		Literature, 1949	2013	Put up for auction at Sotheby's in New York on 11 June 2013, the medal was withdrawn from sale after it failed to reach the pre-sale estimate of $500,000.[53]
Walter Kohn		Chemistry, 1998	2022	Sold at auction at Noonans, London, in January 2022.[58]	$457,531[58]
August Krogh		Physiology or medicine, 1920	1940	Sold alongside the medal of 1922 physics recipientNiels Bohr on 12 March 1940 to raise funds for the Fund for Finnish Relief (Finlandshjälpen) duringWorld War II. Subsequently, donated to theDanish Historical Museum of Fredrikborg.[53]
Carlos Saavedra Lamas		Peace, 1936	2014	Sold at auction at Stacks Bowers, Baltimore, Maryland in March 2014.[27]	$1,116,250 (equivalent to $1,482,632 in 2024)[57]
Maurice Maeterlinck		Literature, 1911	2013	Failed to sell atSotheby's on 1 March 2023 for a pre-sale estimate of €90-120,000.[59]
Archer Martin		Chemistry, 1952	2023	Sold at auction at Noonans, London, in February 2023.[58]	£150,000[58]
Dmitry Muratov		Peace, 2021	2022	Sold at Heritage Auctions on 21 June 2022 for $103,500,000 to an unidentified phone bidder from New York.[60] The proceeds from the sale were donated toUNICEF to help children affected by theRussian invasion of Ukraine.[60]	$103,500,000[60]
George A. Olah		Chemistry, 1994	2023	Sold on 23 January 2023 for $250,000.[61]	$250,000[61]
James Watson		Medicine, 1962	2014	Sold byChristie's on 5 December 2014 for $4,800,000.[62] This was the first medal sold by a living recipient.[62] Watson said that he sold the medal due to his ostracisation from the scientific community afterhis comments about race and intelligence.[62] It was bought byRussian oligarchAlisher Usmanov, who subsequently returned the medal to Watson.[63]	$4,800,000 (equivalent to $6,375,485 in 2024)[62]
Georg Wittig		Chemistry, 1979	2016	Sold in 2016 at Heritage Auctions for $274,000 with Wittig's Paul Karrer Gold Medal fromUniversitat Zurich, the Otto Hahn Prize for Chemistry and Physics, the Roger Adams Medal given by theAmerican Chemical Society and the Adolf Von Baeyer Medal.[64][65]	$274,000 (equivalent to $358,989 in 2024)[64]
Leon M. Lederman		Physics, 1988	2015	Sold in 2015 for $765,002 to cover medical expenses after being diagnosed for dementia.[66]	$765,002 (equivalent to $1,014,812 in 2024)[66]

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