Rare winner's medal from the Innsbruck 1964 Winter Olympics. Gilt silver, 70 mm, 167 gm, by M. Coufal, Vienna. The front, inscribed, "Olympische Winterspiele IX," features the Innsbruck Olympic emblem; the reverse identifies the sport as speed skating, "Eisschnellauf," with raised text, "Innsbruck 1964," over a large jagged mountain. The bottom edge is stamped with a silver hallmark.
Held at the Eisschnelllaufbahn Innsbruck between January 30th and February 7th, the men’s and women’s speed skating events of the Innsbruck Winter Games were dominated by the Soviet Union, a team that amassed nearly half of the 25 winner’s medals, including a field-leading five gold medals. This attractive example, one of only 70 first-place medals issued at Innsbruck, represents just our second gold medal from the IX Olympic Winter Games.
