What are the Oscar statuettes made of?

Updated July 24, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

The Question:

Are Oscar Awards made of gold?

The Answer:

Not solid gold, no. Currently, the Academy Award statuettes are made of gold-plated britannium, an alloy that's mostly made of tin.

The very first Oscar statuettes were made of gold-plated solid bronze. During World War II, when metal was scarce, they were made of plaster; these plaster statuettes were traded in for the usual models after the war.

For more information on the Academy Awards, see Infoplease Goes to the Oscars.

-The Editors


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