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≡ MILAN CORTINA TORCH SOLD ≡
A very successful RR Auction winter sale of Olympic memorabilia finished on Thursday evening and close with total sales of $1.08 million across 191 items, including a very unique “Stadium Torch” from the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games.
Designed to be used for actual lightings of Olympic Flame cauldrons Leningrad, Minsk, Kiev and in the opening ceremony in Moscow, it was engineered to be fail-safe, even in difficult weather, and only 20 were made. Ultra-rare, it brought the highest price in the sale, with 25 items reaching $10,000 or more, including the buyer’s premium:
● $128,066: 1980 Moscow Olympic “Stadium” Torch
● $103,713: 1896 Athens winner’s medal and case
● $50,001: 1952 Oslo Winter gold medal, framed, with pins
● $45,384: 1932 Lake Placid Winter bronze medal and badges
● $34,879: 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Torch
● $33,752: 2024 Paris bronze medal
● $27,468: 2024 Paris Olympic Torch
● $26,173: 1956 Cortina Winter Torch
● $25,469: 1988 Calgary Winter Torch and safety lamp
● $25,005: 1972 Sapporo Winter gold medal
● $22,651: 1896 Athens Olympic invitation letters (3)
● $21,889: 1972 Sapporo Winter Torch
● $20,725: 1904 St. Louis Olympic participation medal
● $19,134: 1994 Lillehammer Winter Torch
● $18,809: 1956 Melbourne Olympic Torch
● $18,301: 1932 Los Angeles gold medal and case
● $16,643: 1948 St. Moritz Winter IOC President’s badge
● $16,250: 2006 Turin Winter silver medal
● $15,313: 2006 Turin Winter silver medal (unawarded)
● $13,753: 1964 Innsbruck Winter gold medal
● $12,501: 1976 Innsbruck Winter silver medal
● $12,501: 1896 to 2010 participation medal collection (41)
● $12,104: 2008 Beijing silver medal and case
● $10,358: 1936 Berlin bronze medal and case
● $10,005: 1988 Calgary Winter medal display
How much value was placed on the 1980 “Stadium Torch” vs. a standard Moscow Games torch? One was available in the auction and went for $2,500.
The first known sale of a Milan Cortina Olympic Winter Torch, offered during the Milan Cortina Games, brought an excellent price of $26,173 and a Paris 2024 Torch, produced in limited numbers, sold for $27,468!
The 1904 St. Louis participation medal is generally considered the most rare and valuable and the winning price of $20,725 reflects its scarcity.
There were also some really unique items, including unissued, duplicate accreditation badges from the 2004 Athens Games, of U.S. swim star Michael Phelps (where he won six golds), a then-19-year-old LeBron James and diplomatic guest, ex-U.S. President George H.W. Bush! This was an Olympic collector’s auction and Phelps’ badge brought $9,000, to $4,654 for James and $2,275 for Bush.
It really is all about the athletes.
One of the best-performing items at the sale was a stainless-steel 1980 U.S. Olympic Team ring, produced for the winter and summer teams. Expected to sell for about $400, the size-12 ring brought $7,500!
A 2002 Sports Emmy, won by NBC feature producer Nicholas Worth for Outstanding Live Sports Special sold for $4,038 and a Paris 2024 Olympic Flame Lighting Priestess dress and sandals for the ceremony at Olympia went for $2,505.
The auction had a well-timed pin from the never-held 1944 Winter Games originally assigned to Cortina d’Ampezzo (ITA), but cancelled due to World War II. It sold for $833; Cortina later held the 1956 Winter Games and, of course, is a major site in 2026.
A plethora of items from the estate of the late Canadian International Olympic Committee member James Worrall were sold, including his collection of 39 Olympic-related ties. They went for $165, a little less than the projected $200.
Whoever got those has an Olympic tie for every occasion!
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