This offered medal hails from the 1904 St. Louis Exposition Games(aka The World's Fair) celebrating the Centennial of the LouisianaPurchase from Napoleon in 1803. Held from April 30 to December 1 theywere later referred to as the 3rd ModernOlympic Games. Like the 1900 Paris Exposition the organizers sounder-promoted the Olympic status of the competitions thatmany athletes did not know they were participating in Olympicevents.

There are four versions of 1904 World's Fair award medals; the three more common examples are listed here. (The rarest Grand Prize example is listed in Lot678). The Gold (146 grams) and Commemorative (142 g) award medals have the same triangular-shaped shield look measuring 2.75" wide and 2.75" tall and 5 mm thick. The Silver award medal (184 g) is square-shaped and measures 2.5" on all sides. All three are made of bronze and are designed by Wienberg. The relief designs are essentially the same with an eagle standing on apodium that reads "Grand Prize Louisiana Purchase Exposition" on the obverse. Thereverse has "Universal Exposition Saint Louis United States Of America"and Roman numerals "MCMIV."  The Gold presents NM-MT and the other two appear closer to NM. The Gold and Commemorative medals come with their original red velvet-lined presentation cases still intact. The Silver medal is uncased.