Henry Warshaw has been a coin collector since he was a child.

"When you're eight or nine or 10, it usually starts with pennies, and nickels and dimes," Warshaw said.

Decades later, when he saw a rare item come up for auction, he realized he had to purchase it. It is a participation medal from the 1904 Olympics, which were held in St. Louis.

He donated it to Washington University, his alma mater. It will be displayed with other St. Louis Olympic memorabilia.

"It's way more important to be displayed in public than being in a bank vault somewhere," Warshaw said.

The 1904 games were the first ones during which athletes received gold, silver or bronze medals. They also received the participation medals

"It was the beginning of the Olympics in this country," said Warshaw. "These coins, these medals, tell a history. They all have stories with it."

The rare medal is worth an estimated $20,000.

To read the complete article, see:
Collector shares piece of STL Olympic history(ksdk.com/article/news/local/collector-shares-piece-of-stl-olympic-history/63-515021878)