Greece, winner medal of the 1st Olympic Games in Athens (1896), Ag, 50 mm, 67.20 g, in original box of issue. The medal was engraved by the famous French artist and medallists Jules-Clement Chaplain. On the obverse, a laureate head of Zeus is depicted, holding a sphere, on which the winged goddess of victory Nike stands, holding an olive branch. On the reverse, the Acropolis rock with the Parthenon is depicted. On the edge around, the inscription “Διεθνείς Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες-Αθήναι 1896” is engraved
An excellent and beautiful patineted specimen of this rare medal of great historical interest. There were a total of 43 events in 9 sports at the first Olympics.
Denmark was among the 14 participating nations, and Danish weightlifter Viggo Jensen claimed victory, becoming Denmark’s first-ever Olympic champion. It remains unknown whether the medal now offered for sale originally belonged to Viggo Jensen.
World’s First Olympic Medal, 1 March 2026