Rare 1896 Athens Olympic Second Place Bronze Medal designed by J C Chaplain (1839-1909), with name to the right of Zeus relief with inscribed 'Olympia' to the left, the reverse inscribed in Greek 'First International Olympic Games, Athens 1896', the edge stamped 'Bronze', housed in original box lined with red fabric, medal 2 inch (50mm) dia. At the inaugural modern Olympiad, first-place winners were awarded silver medals and second-place finishers earned these bronze prizes; there was no award for a third-place result. Any winner's medal from the historic debut of the Olympic Games remain exceedingly rare and are highly desirable within the world of sport.