Graphic: AP and CNBC According to the Olympic Charter, prize medals must adhere to the regulatory 60 millimeters in diameter and three millimeters in thickness. Both gold and silver medals must be made with 92.5 percent pure silver. Gold medals must be gilded with at least six grams of gold. We tallied the countries with the most gold awarded in a summer Olympics since these regulations were developed in 1978 and the value of gold during that period.

Graphic: AP and CNBC(The United Kingdom's Sebastian Coe celebrates victory in 1,500 meter race at Moscow Summer Olympic Games.) Price of gold per oz. (July 1980): $614Most gold awards: 80 - USSRValue per gold medal: $130Total value: $10,400

Graphic: Steve Ryan and CNBC(Great Britain's pursuit team at the 1984 Los Angeles.) Price of gold per oz. (July 1984): $342Most gold awards: 83 - USValue per gold medal: $72.38Total value: $6,007.54

Graphic: Department of Defense and CNBC(Athletes stand by the ceremonial torch of the XXIVth Olympiad.) Price of gold per oz. (Sept 1988): $412.90Most gold awards: 55 - USSRValue per gold medal: $87.39Total value: $4,806.45

Graphic: AP and CNBC(Sergei Bubka at 1992 Summer Olympics pole vault competition.) Price of gold per oz. (July 1992): $359.50Most gold awards: 45 - Unified TeamValue per gold medal: $76.09Total value: $3,424.05

Graphic: AP and CNBC(Kurt Angle of US celebrates winning gold medal in Olympic 100kg freestyle wrestling competition) Price of gold per oz. (July 1996): $385.30Most gold awards: 44 - USValue per gold medal: $81.55Total value: $3,588.20

Graphic: AP and CNBC(Christie Ambrosi of US tagged out at home plate by China's pitcher Zhang Yanging in Women's Softball game at Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics Games.) Price of gold per oz. (Sept 2000): $975.80Most gold awards:  37 - USValue per gold medal: $206.52Total value: $7,641.24

Graphic: AP and CNBC(John Lovell and Charlie Ogletree (r-l), compete to win silver medal for men's Tornado multihull sailing event, Athens 2004 Summer Olympic Games.) Price of gold per oz. (Aug 2004): $401.20Most gold awards: 36 - USValue per gold medal: $84.91Total value: $3,056.76

Graphic: AP and CNBC(He Kexin of China poses with gold medal in Uneven Bars Apparatus finals at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.)Click to see slideshow again Price of gold per oz. (Aug 2008): $860.70Most gold awards: 51 -ChinaValue per gold medal: $182.16Total value: $9,290.16

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