Alexander Fleming was seen working in his lab at St. Mary's Hospital in London in 1943. Getty Images
A rare medallion containing a sample of the original mould used in the discovery of penicillin is set to go up for auction, with estimates predicting it could fetch up to $50,000. This unique piece of medical history was created by Scottish bacteriologist Alexander Fleming, the scientist credited with the accidental discovery of the world’s first antibiotic in 1928.
The medallion holds a specimen of the penicillin mould on blotting paper, encased in a glass disc and framed by a black plastic rim. Measuring about two inches in diameter, the medallion is inscribed with the words, “The mould that made penicillin / Alexander Fleming,” and was initially a gift from Fleming to his niece.
Bonhams, the auction house hosting the event, described the item as “one of the most pivotal discoveries in medical history.” The online auction will run from October 13 to October 23, with bids expected to range between $30,000 and $50,000. The auction listing emphasizes the medallion’s significance as a rare relic of Fleming’s groundbreaking contribution to humanity, noting that only a few such medallions exist in private hands today.
Fleming's discovery of penicillin is considered one of the greatest medical breakthroughs of the 20th century. It all began when he accidentally left a stack of staph cultures near an open window while on vacation in 1928. Upon returning, he noticed that the cultures had been contaminated by an airborne mould, which prevented the normal growth of the staph bacteria. This mould was later identified as Penicillium notatum, the source of penicillin.
The mold medallion is set to be auctioned by Bonhams later this month. CNN
Although Fleming realized the potential of penicillin, it took another decade for scientists to fully understand its use and figure out how to mass-produce it. During the 1930s and 1940s, researchers in the United Kingdom and the United States experimented with different strains of the fungus to increase production. American scientists struck gold when they discovered a particularly productive strain of penicillin on a mouldy cantaloupe in a grocery store in Peoria, Illinois, which could produce 200 times more penicillin than Fleming’s original strain.
Penicillin proved to be a game-changer during World War II, dramatically reducing the mortality rate of bacterial pneumonia from 18% in World War I to less than 1% in World War II. It also played a crucial role in saving the lives of countless wounded soldiers and civilians. The drug's introduction marked the dawn of antibiotics, transforming modern medicine by treating previously deadly bacterial infections.
However, Fleming himself was aware of the potential dangers that misuse of penicillin could bring. In his 1945 Nobel lecture, he warned that improper use of antibiotics, particularly underdosing, could develop resistant bacteria. His concerns have since become a reality, with antibiotic resistance now threatening the effectiveness of drugs like penicillin. By 2050, drug-resistant infections are expected to cause 10 million deaths annually.
The auction of this historic medallion not only serves as a reminder of Fleming’s extraordinary contribution to medicine but also highlights the ongoing challenges posed by antibiotic resistance in the modern world.
