Exceedingly rare first-place winner’s medal issued for the Athens 1896 Olympics. Silver, 50 mm, 67 gm, by Jules Clement Chaplain. The front depicts a relief portrait of Zeus holding Nike, the goddess of Victory, in the palm of his hand, with text along left side, “Olympia”; the reverse bears a detailed view of the Acropolis of Athens topped by the Parthenon, with raised Greek characters to upper and lower portion (translated), “International Olympic Games in Athens, 1896.” Stamped “Argent” on the edge.
At the inaugural modern Olympiad, first-place winners were awarded silver medals and second-place finishers earned bronze prizes; there was no award for a third-place result. Any winner's medal from the historic debut of the 1896 Olympic Games remains exceedingly rare, and this marvelous example is one of the finest we have encountered. It is a historic piece as the premiere instance of a first-place Olympic medal, which still stands among the most sought-after accolades in the realm of sport.
