The Olympic Gold ice hockey medals of father and son Bill and Dave Christian will hit the auction block at Heritage later this month.
The two medals, won 20 years apart, mark two of the greatest sporting victories in U.S Olympic history, and will lead a unique collection of memorabilia from one of ice hockey’s most ce,berated dynasties.
"It’s often said that lightning never strikes twice, but the tale of the Christian family belies that axiom," said Chris Ivy, Director of Sports Auctions at Heritage. "Both father and son were key figures in two of the most dramatic and glorious underdog tales in the history of American athletics, as members of the United States Olympic Ice Hockey teams of 1960 and 1980."
Retired forward Dave Christian was part of the legendary ‘Miracle on Ice’ hockey team which beat the odds to win gold at the 1980 Winter Olympics, defeating the heavily-favoured Soviet Union team in one of the biggest underdog victories in sporting history.
His Gold medal will be offered with an estimate of $400,000+, along with other memorabilia from the games including his game-worn jersey from the gold-medal match against Finland, his Olympic ring and his jacket worn during the medal ceremony.
"After the success of partnerships between Heritage and several key figures of the ‘Miracle’ team, Mike Eruzione, Phil Verchota and the family of deceased Hall of Fame coach Herb Brooks among them, the Christians have decided to present their own Olympic treasures to the collectors and fans."
Two decades previously, his father Bill (along with his uncle Roger) had both faced a similar battle at the height of the Cold War. The U.S team won their first-ever Olympic hockey gold, improbably beating the Soviets – the last time they would lose an Olympic tournament until the ‘miracle’ 20 years later.
His Gold medal is expected to sell for $50,000+, along with other items from his Hall-of-Fame career including game-worn jerseys from the 1960 and 1964 games, and the stick he used to score twice against the Soviets.
The Bill and Dave Christian Collection will be offered as part of Heritage Auctions’ Platinum Night Sports Auction at the Fletcher-Sinclair Mansion in New York on February 20.
