Fantastic winner's medal issued for the London 1948 Summer Olympics. Gilt silver, 51 mm, 69 gm, by Giuseppe Cassioli. The front, inscribed, "XIVth Olympiad, London, 1948," features a 'Seated Victory' with the Coliseum in the background; the reverse portrays a winner carried by jubilant athletes. Complete with its original hinged case by John Pinches (Medalists) Ltd., London, gilt-stamped on the lid: "The Olympic Games, London, 1948." The medal exhibits only minor rubbing to gilt on the edges, and the rare case's hinge is partially detached. A classic gold medal from a truly momentous Olympiad—the London Games represented the first Summer Olympics since 1936 after a twelve-year hiatus due to World War II. With only 138 first-place winner's medals awarded, they remain quite scarce—especially in their original cases—and are rarely seen in such fine condition.
