2019 October 17 - 18 Fall Sports Memorabilia Collectibles Catalog Auction - 26/10/2019 / Lot 53750

1980 Moscow Summer Olympics Torch. The U.S.S.R. invasion of Afghanistan in December of 1979 earned widespread international condemnation, with the United States joining more than sixty other nations, including Japan and West Germany, in boycotting the Moscow Games. This sleek aluminum alloy and gold plate torch fittingly recalls the Cold War competition with its classically Soviet utilitarian design. The top ring exhibits moderate wear, but the torch exhibits no other noteworthy flaws beyond. Despite the much diminished field of participants, the Moscow Games will be long remembered for its social and political implications, and this torch serves as its most recognizable artifact. Length 22.5". HID10206192019© 2019 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved