Rare complete set of the five variations of non-athletic award medals issued for the Paris 1900 Exposition Universelle Internationale, which played host to that year's Olympics, featuring a gorgeous design by Jules-Clement Chaplain. Includes the bronze medal, silvered bronze medal, gilt bronze medal, solid silver medal, and gilt silver medal (with original leather presentation case and slip). Each measures 63.5 mm in diameter. The fronts depict a profile view of Marianne, the national symbol of the French Republic; the reverses bear an athlete with a torch riding on the back of Nike, the goddess of victory. Each is stamped on the edge with the Paris mint's cornucopia symbol and metal type. Since this Olympics did not issue participation medals, these non-athletic award medals are used as a placeholder in participation medal collections. With their brilliant Art Nouveau style, these uncommon awards exist as some of the most aesthetically pleasing of all Olympic-related medals.
