Extremely rare torchbearer's diploma issued for the Helsinki 1952 Summer Olympics, 13.75 x 11.25, featuring text in Greek, awarded at Patras on March 1, 1953. Includes the bronze torchbearer plaque issued for the Helsinki 1952 Summer Olympics, bronze, 66 gm, 38 mm x 70 mm, by Veljekset Sundqvist of Helsinki. The front of the medal depicts a large flame emerging behind a mountaintop, with raised Olympic rings and text: “XV Olympia, 1952, Helsinki, Helsingfors.” The plaque's reverse is plain with the exception of the maker’s mark. The diplomas exhibit a few stains and some chipping to edges. These plaques and diplomas were presented to the torchbearers for the Helsinki 1952 Summer Olympics torch relay.
Only 342 runners participated in the torch relay preceding the 1952 Summer Olympic Games at Helsinki, carrying the Olympic flame some 4,725 km from Olympia, Greece, to Helsinki Olympic Stadium in Finland. Unlike many other Olympic relays, torchbearers did not keep their torches, as only 22 were manufactured for the event. This diploma/medal set therefore represents the entirety of what the runners received.
