Commemorative, Historical and Art Medals

A Group of Participant’s Medals for Olympic and Commonwealth Games, presented to Commander F.W. Collins, R.N.:
XIV Olympiad, London, 1948, a light bronze participant’s medal by B. Mackennal and J.R. Pinches, Houses of Parliament in cartouche, rev. two victorious athletes in quadriga, 51mm (BHM 4422; E 2076; MJP p.118);
XVI Olympiad, Melbourne, 1956, a bronze participant’s medal by A. Mészáros for K.G. Luke, arms and Olympic symbols, rev. athletes around Olympic flag, 64mm (Wachtel 7);
VI British Empire and Commonwealth Games, Cardiff, 1958, a bronze participant’s medal by J. Pinches, Welsh dragon, rev. crown and inscription within chain border, 54mm (BHM 4472);
VIII British Empire and Commonwealth Games, Jamaica, 1966, a bronze participant’s medal, unsigned, arms of Jamaica and supporters, rev. crowned legend, 54mm;
IX British Commonwealth Games, Edinburgh, 1970, a bronze participant’s medal by T.H. Paget, thistle, rev. crowned legend, 54mm;
X British Commonwealth Games, Christchurch, 1974, a bronze participant’s medal, by XXX, emblem, rev. crowned legend, 63mm;
XI British Commonwealth Games, Edmonton, 1978, a bronze participant’s medal, maple leaf within wreath, rev. crowned legend, 44mm;
Together with a privately produced book giving the history of the Torch relays at the Olympics and the Queen’s Message relays for the Empire and Commonwealth Games [one of a limited edition of 3].
Most of the medals as struck; mounted in a wooden glazed frame, the display completed with a Festival of Britain Crown, 1951. An interesting and unique group £800-1,000

First medal only illustrated. Commander F.W. 'Bill' Collins, RN (1905-89), was involved in athletics and the organisation of sport both in the Navy and nationally. In particular he coached javelin and was one of a number of coaches who taught at the AAA Summer Schools at Loughborough College in the 1930s. After the War he organised the Olympic Torch Relay from Olympia across Europe to London for the 1948 Games as well as supplying and testing torches for the 1956 relay from Greece to Melbourne. He was responsible for athletic displays at the Festival of Britain in 1951. Based on the idea of the Torch Relay, Commander Collins was the originator of Queen's Message Relay, organising this event for the Empire and Commonwealth Games in Cardiff in 1958 as well as for four subsequent Games. In 1962 he founded the Torch Trophy Trust to encourage voluntary work for sport at club or local level