1956 Melbourne Olympic Games Participants Medal

1956 Melbourne Olympic Games Participants Medal General Data Material: Bronze Designer: Andor Mesazaros Foundry: The die for medal was struck by London-based Pinches and was minted in Melbourne by Kg Luke Ltd. Edition size: It reported that 12,250 medals were struck and put in plastic presentation boxes of which 11,305 were formally issued. Inscriptions Obverse: The obverse depicts in relief a design of athletes marching in pairs following a Single figure bearing a banner with the Olympic device of rings and the motto of the International Olympic Committee Citius, Altius, Fortius. Reverse The reverse is a reproduction in relief of the Coat of Arms of the City of Melbourne surmounted by the five rings and bearing the inscription ‘Olympic Games Melbourne 1956’. The designer’s signature is depicted to the left of the Coat-of-Arms and to its right. Background information While the 1956 Olympic Games represented a colossal sporting event in its own right, these global games had a wider significance for Melbourne, by accelerating socio-cultural change and placing the city on the international map what was then regarded as an antipodean backwater. Andor Meszaros (1900-73) was a Hungarian-Jewish sculptor who migrated to Australia in 1939. His commissions in Australia include many large sculptures, often with a religious theme and created for churches and hospitals. Between his major commissions, Meszaros also designed numerous medals to mark events in his adopted country, including the Melbourne Olympic Games participant’s medal. Additionally, he took up the role of organizing a sculpture exhibition, held at the Melbourne Town Hall for the Games’ cultural programme. Our comment This vintage medal is getting increasingly rare and its price is bound to increase, especially because the place the Melbourne Olympic Games occupy in Australia’s socio-political history.