Offered here is an official Olympic torch from 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta. Constructed of gold-plated brass, aluminum, and Georgian pecan hardwood, this important Centennial torch measures 32″ in length with a diameter varyng from 2-1/4″ at the bottom to 3-1/2" at its widest point on top. Designed by Peter Mastrogiannis, the wooden handle at center represents the connection of the flame between heaven and earth, and the torch's 22 reeds, representing every host city of the Olympic Games since 1896, are gathered by bands at the top and bottom, with the top displaying the Atlanta Games logo and the quilt of leaves design, and the bottom band listing all Olympic cities and their dates since 1896.
The torch relay was run from April 27 to July 19, 1966, and covered 26,875 km across the United States with over 12,000 torchbearers. Its journey included a trek on the Pony Express, a ride on the Union Pacific Railroad, and the first instance in which an Olympic relay torch made its way into space when it was carried aboard Space Shuttle Columbia as part of STS-78. This memorable flame relay culminated, of course, with Muhammad Ali's magical moment lighting the Olympic cauldron. A very appealing relay torch from the Centennial Olympic Games, it remains in great condition even after being used in the relay. A sticker affixed to the base end reads "084" presumably to denote the edition number of the torch or perhaps the numerical order of this particular flame carrier.