This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/15/2019
Featured here is a rather scarce 1896-1996 Centennial torch commemorating the first modern Olympic Games. The Hellenic Olympic Committee celebrated the 100th anniversary of the 1896 Olympic Games in Athens' Panathenean Stadium on April 6, 1996, a few months before the official 1996 Atlanta Summer Games. Part of this celebration was the re-enactment of the 1896 Games held in Athens. Olympic medalists and representatives of all cities who had hosted the Summer Olympics since 1896 took part in a ceremonial torch run within the stadium. Afterwards, they took the torches back to their Olympic cities for separate ceremony.
Made of silver-plated aluminum and wood, the well-crafted torch measures nearly 22" tall (56 cm) and 6″ (6.4 cm) in diameter at its widest point on top. The main body is ribbed similarly to the 22 reeds found on the 1996 Atlanta torch, with a band above the wooden handle engraved with the names all Summer Games host cities and their host years since 1896. This example does not appear to have been used in the commemorative torch run as it shows no signs of being lit and still as a wick material wrapped in tape within the burner holder. The wood handle and metal shaft are loose and rotate freely without locking or tightening in place. Having not handled one of these torches before, we are not sure if this a faulty design or just a flaw with this particular torch. Nevertheless, it remains intact and ideal for proper display, presenting EX-MT overall.