Attica Auctions
Auction 4 23 Apr 2023
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Greece. Silver medal of the 1st Olympic Games in Athens (1896) was awarded to the 1st winner of each competition. It was engraved by the famous French artist Jules-Clement Chaplain. On the obverse, a laureate head of Zeus is depicted, holding a sphere, on which the winged Nike stands, holding an olive branch. On the reverse, the Acropolis rock with the Parthenon. On the edge around, the inscription "Διεθνείς Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες-Αθήναι 1896" is engraved.
An exceptional specimen of outstanding quality, rarity and historical interest. The cataloguers have never handled or encountered a finer example after extensive research. It was common practice at the time to polish medals but this piece is untouched with an attractive rainbow cabinet patina. Extremely rare medal especially in this condition, missing from the majority of Olympic related collections. According to records, only 43 such examples were awarded in the first Olympic Games of 1896. Possibly the finest known and certainly the finest graded. Graded MS62 NGC. Top Pop.
An exceptional specimen of outstanding quality, rarity and historical interest. The cataloguers have never handled or encountered a finer example after extensive research. It was common practice at the time to polish medals but this piece is untouched with an attractive rainbow cabinet patina. Extremely rare medal especially in this condition, missing from the majority of Olympic related collections. According to records, only 43 such examples were awarded in the first Olympic Games of 1896. Possibly the finest known and certainly the finest graded. Graded MS62 NGC. Top Pop.