Spring Premier Auction 2016

The 1964 Tokyo Games was the first Olympiad to take place in Asia. Torches from these Games are among the scarcest of Summer Games torches to surface in the hobby. This one was used in the torch relay. The Olympic flame began its journey in Olympia, Greece and traveled to 11 Asian cities before arriving in Okinawa, Japan ultimately making its way to Tokyo. The relay lasted 51 days and covered a total of 26,065 km. There were 870 torchbearers outside Japan, but the exact number within the host nation is unknown. Designed by Munemichi Yanagi and manufactured by Nippon Light Metal Co., this torch comes complete with its bowl (handle base) and cylinder (burning attachment), another rarity as often the latter is discarded and only the bowl remains. The bowl is made of blackened aluminum alloy. Its circular top measures 17 cm (6.75") across and is engraved "XVIII OLYMPIAD TOKYO 1964" with the interlocking Olympic rings. The very bottom of the handle is inscribed "NIKKEI YANAGI." The bowl/handle piece is 20 cm (8") tall. The cylinder is clad with stainless steel and measures 54.5 cm (21.5"); when inserted into the bowl, the complete torch stands close to 65 cm (25.5"). The clean portion of the cylinder bears the 1964 Tokyo Games logo with "SHOWA KASEIHIN CO., 3–1964" inscribed at the lower end, both of which are hidden when inserted into the bowl. The black bowl is somewhat stained and discolored from use, most notably on the interior. The silver cylinder show significant darkening (from burning) on the upper end and has a small 1.5 cm dent towards the bottom. Designed on the principle of a coal-mine safety lamp, the 1964 Tokyo torch was filled with priming powder and fumigant, a two-component ignition material that needed to be wind and rain resistant. Although a typhoon and various plane issues caused a one-day delay during the relay, the triumphant final leg by Yoshinori Sakai through Tokyo’s National Olympic Stadium on October 10, 1964 served as a defining moment for a still healing post-war Japan. Overall, the torch presents in EX condition. A used example (complete with bowl and cylinder) in worse condition recently sold at auction for $12,346. New, unused examples can go for $15,000 and up.