The Nobel Prize medal awarded to George D. Snell in 1980 is offered for sale with a starting bid of $200,000. Courtesy of Nate D. Sanders Auctions

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Winning a Nobel Prize is out of most peoples reach, but you can own a Nobel Prize medal for a reasonable price.

The Nobel Prize medal awarded to George D. Snell in 1980 for his breakthrough research in immunology is being offered at an online auction via Nate D. Sanders Auctions now through Oct. 28 with. It has a starting bid of US$200,000.

The medal weighs more than six ounces and measures two-and-a-half inches in diameter. It features Alfred Nobels image on one side, and a relief of a woman representing the Genius of Medicine on the reverse side. Snell's name and 1980 in Roman numerals are engraved on a plaque framed by the name of the Karolinska Institute, which awards the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Snell (1903-96) earned his bachelors degrees in science and mathematics at Dartmouth University, and obtained a doctorate degree at Harvard University in 1930. In 1935, he joined the Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine, and worked there throughout his career.

In 1978, Snell was the recipient of the Cancer Research Institutes William B. Coley Award for distinguished research in immunology. He died in 1996.

Snell's discovery of the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) laid the genetic foundation of organ transplants, which can determine whether a body accepts an organ or rejects it.

Prior to his discovery, organ transplantation was dependent on the chance of perfect genetic matching. Snell's work paved the way for the nearly 150,000 people annually who now receive organ transplants worldwide.

The medal is accompanied by a letter of authentication from one of Snells three sons, who might be selling the medal. The Los Angeles-based Nate D. Sanders Auctions did not immediately respond to a request for confirmation.

Read more:
George D. Snells Nobel Prize Is Headed to Auction - Barron's