A Nobel Peace Prize laureate receives two central symbols of the prize: a gold medal and a diploma. In addition, the prize money is awarded separately. Regardless of what may happen to the medal, the diploma, or the prize money, it is and remains the original laureate who is recorded in history as the recipient of the prize. Even if the medal or diploma later comes into someone else’s possession, this does not alter who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
A laureate cannot share the prize with others, nor transfer it once it has been announced. A Nobel Peace Prize can also never be revoked. The decision is final and applies for all time.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee does not see it as their role to engage in day-to-day commentary on Peace Prize laureates or the political processes that they are engaged in. The prize is awarded on the basis of the laureate' contributions by the time that the committee’s decision is taken.
The Committee does not comment on laureates’ subsequent statements, decisions, or actions. Any ongoing assessments or choices made by laureates must be understood as their own responsibility.
There are no restrictions in the statutes of the Nobel Foundation on what a laureate may do with the medal, the diploma, or the prize money. This means that a laureate is free to keep, give away, sell, or donate these items.
A number of Nobel medals are displayed in museums around the world. Several Nobel laureates have also chosen to give away or sell their medals:
- Kofi Annan (Peace Prize 2001): In February 2024, his widow, Nane Annan, donated both the medal and the diploma to the United Nations Office in Geneva, where they are now permanently on display. She stated that she wished his legacy to continue inspiring future generations.
- Christian Lous Lange (Peace Prize 1921): The medal of Norway’s first Nobel Peace Prize laureate has been on long-term loan from the Lange family to the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo since 2005. It is now displayed in the Medal Chamber and is the only original Peace Prize medal permanently exhibited to the public in Norway.
- Dmitry Muratov (Peace Prize 2021): The Russian journalist sold his medal for USD 103.5 million in June 2022. The entire sum was donated to UNICEF’s fund for Ukrainian refugee children. This is the highest price ever paid for a Nobel Prize medal.
- David Thouless (Physics Prize 2016): His family donated the medal to Trinity Hall, University of Cambridge, where it is displayed to inspire students.
- James Watson (Medicine Prize 1962): In 2014, his medal was sold for USD 4.76 million. The controversial DNA researcher stated that parts of the proceeds would be used for research purposes. The medal was purchased by Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov, who later returned it to Watson.
- Leon Lederman (Physics Prize 1988): He sold his medal in 2015 for USD 765,002 to cover medical expenses related to dementia.
- Knut Hamsun (Literature Prize 1920): In 1943, the Norwegian author Knut Hamsun travelled to Germany and met with Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels. After returning to Norway, he sent his Nobel medal to Goebbels as a gesture of thanks for the meeting. Goebbels was honoured by the gift. The present whereabouts of the medal are unknown.
Facts about the Gold Medal
The medal is cast in 18-carat gold, weighs 196 grams, and measures 6.6 centimetres in diameter. It was designed by the Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland in 1901. The obverse features a portrait of Alfred Nobel, while the reverse depicts three naked men with their arms around one another’s shoulders, symbolising fraternity. The Latin inscription pro pace et fraternitate gentium means “for peace and the fraternity of nations.”