Mexican disarmament expert's Nobel medal heads to auction

A Nobel Peace Prize medal awarded in 1982 to a Mexican diplomat and nuclear disarmament expert will be auctioned in April.

Christie's in New York made the announcement on Tuesday, the 50th anniversary of the signing of a treatythat created a nuclear-free zone in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The driving force behind the treaty was the late Alfonso Garcia Robles. He was a foreign minister and ambassador before becoming Mexico's permanent representative to the United Nations Committee on Disarmament.

Christie's specialist Becky MacGuire says the 18-carat gold medal, being offered by Garcia Robles' family, is a "tangible symbol of mankind's struggle for peace."

The presale estimate is US$400,000 to US$600,000.

It will be part of an April 28 auction of rare decorative arts and objects of cultural significance.