Historical Hockey Memorabilia Auction November 2010
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/16/2010
For the first time ever a Russian player's Olympic medal from the "Miracle on Ice" 1980 Lake Placid hockey tournament is offered for auction. Valeri Vasiliev played on nine Soviet gold medal teams at the IIHF World Championships. He was named the tournament's best defenseman in 1973, 1977, and 1979 and was a five-time all-star. He was on the gold medal team at the 1972 and 1976 Winter Olympics, as well as at the 1981 Canada Cup. He also played in the 1972 Summit Series, 1976 Canada Cup, and 1980 Winter Olympics. Team U.S.A.'s incredible upset win over the powerhouse Soviet Union squad in 1980 paved the way to the youthful American team's gold medal. The U.S.S.R. had to settle for silver while Sweden - the only team the Americans were unable to beat during the tournament - claimed the bronze medal. This gorgeous silver medal is engraved "Ice Hockey" below "Lake Placid 1980" along with the official logo of the XIII Olympic Winter Games and pine cones and branches on the face of the medal. The back of the 3.25-inch medal features "XIII Olympic Winter Games" and the Olympic rings with a hand holding a flaming torch aloft with a mountain range in the background. The original light blue ribbon with white stripes is here and would have been inside the Tiffany & Co. presentation case (not included). The edge is stamped "Tiffany & Co, Sterling Silver" and dated "1979". Condition is an issue here as the hefty medal does show wear to the finish with some pitting and smaller scratches. This astounding collectors' item is an incredibly rare opportunity to obtain a piece of hockey history and it comes with Valeri Vasiliev's signed letter of authenticity.
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