A gold medal from the 2010 Winter Olympics has been sold at a U.S. auction for the equivalent of about $90,000 in Canadian dollars.

The medal was originally listed for US$5,000 at Boston-based RR Auction, but the bids climbed quickly until the one-of-a-kind item was eventually sold for a whopping US$68,750.

The original owner is a mystery, but the medal indicates it was handed out for a freestyle men's skiing event.

All the medals from the 2010 Games are unique, notable for their undulating form and Aboriginal art designs. RR Auction described them as "among the most beautiful and innovative of all Olympic medals."

The auction winner also received the medal's original embroidered ribbon and wool felt medal pouch.