Commemorating a historic moment in time
Olympic participation medals have their origins with the first Modern Games, held in Athens in 1896. Officially called commemoratives, these medals are presented to all athletes and officials as remembrances of the Games.
Although usually struck in bronze, there have been medals struck in steel, copper, pewter and other metals as well.
These medals can be quite beautiful and feature different designs for each Olympic Games. Highly prized by collectors, participation medals range from very common in availability to exceedingly rare.
