Quasimodo's Nobel medal fetches 100, 000 euros at auction

02 dicembre 2015

1 min di lettura

(AGI) Turin, Dec 2 - The Nobel Prize medal awarded to Italianauthor and poet Salvatore Quasimodo fetched 100,000 euros atauction on Wednesday. Bidding started at 50,000 euros for themedal, which the Ministry for Culture has deemed to be ofnational interest, and thus not allowed to leave Italy. Thewinning bid came from a Florentine collector, who was presentat the Bolaffi auction house in Turin for the sale. "It's afine object, an investment. I was happy to buy it to keep itwith me. I know that pieces like this fetch much higher pricesabroad, but I will keep it for myself for now", he said. Theman, who wishes to remain anonymous, has had a numismatics shopin Florence since 2000: "I am a collector of coins and medals,but I would not have bid above 100,000 euros". Bolaffi CEOFilippo Bolaffi said: "I feel a bit bitter, without therestrictions Quasimodo's Nobel medal would probably havecommanded a much higher price. Similar pieces are sold for muchmore abroad. A month ago, Francis Peyton Rous's Nobel medal formedicine went for 380,000 dollars, and that of Alan LloydHodgkin, also for medicine, went for 800,000 euros. I ammoderately satisfied, but also a bit bitter. However, I don'tthink Mr Quasimodo will be displeased, it was a perfectlyrespectable price." (AGI). .