Iconic 1960 Winter Olympics Torch Fetching Large Bids at Auction

Palisades Tahoe, CA, (formerly known as Squaw Valley) was the site of the 1960 Winter Olympics. 64 years later, a California state employee who was responsible for the safety of the torch runners, is auctioning off the iconic torch used at the games.

Bidding ends on July 18th, and the current highest bid is $137,500, as of Monday, July 8th, 2024. There have been 9 bids so far.

The item is listed as the "incredibly rare, highly sought-after torch of the Squaw Valley 1960 Winter Olympics--one of the rarest Olympic torches ever made."

The listing further explains that the torch is marked as number "10" on the bottom of the handle, comprised of silver aluminum and measuring 19˝ long.

This particular torch was designed by legendary American Disney artist and designer John Hench, and features three Olympic rings cutouts around the bowl, above a circular legend: "VIII Olympic Winter Games." Incredibly, the burner wick still remains in place, six decades later.

The listing description, like any good seller's advertisement, includes the negatives: the torch exhibits some minor scuffing to the bowl and handle. Perhaps this is considered a plus to certain collectors. The torch was really used in the Olympic Games.

This torch has an especially storied past, even before the opening ceremony, as the Olympic flame was first lit in Morgedal, Norway, at the home of the 'father of modern skiing,' Sondre Norheim, again, symbolizing the torch's link between the past and present.

Then, the torch was transported, by car, to Copenhagen via Oslo. The flame was then flown to Los Angeles, where the relay carried it throughout California before its final stop at the California ski resort (then known as) Squaw Valley.

During the Opening Ceremony, the torch was carried by American skier Andrea Mead Lawrence, along with eight members of the National Ski Patrol.

The final torchbearer was skater Kenneth Charles Henry, who, according to Palisades Tahoe's listing's description, "did a lap of the ice in front of the Blyth Memorial Arena before lighting the cauldron in which the flame would burn throughout the Games."

There is no way to see who the nine people are who have bid on the item so far. If we had to guess, it is probably people with family ties to Olympic Valley and/or the Olympics. Or, those with a little (or a lot of) extra cash to spare.

Related: Editor's Picks #2: Top Ski News From Last Week

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