Attractive non-athletic award medal issued for the Paris 1900 Exposition Universelle, which played host to that year's Olympics. Gilt bronze, 63.5 mm, 100 gm, by Jules-Clement Chaplain. The front depicts a profile view of Marianne, the national symbol of the French Republic; the reverse bears an athlete with a torch riding on the back of Nike, the goddess of victory, with tablet below issuing the medal to "Alers." Stamped on the edge with the Paris mint's cornucopia symbol and "Bronze." Since this Olympics did not issue participation medals, these non-athletic award medals are often used as a placeholder in participation medal collections. With its classic Art Nouveau style, this uncommon award exists as one of the most aesthetically pleasing of all Olympic-related medals.
