BOSTON, MASS.- As the world looks forward to the upcoming Winter Games in PyeongChang, RR Auction presents another installment in its series of Olympic themed auctions this January.

Beginning with several medals from the 1900 Exposition Universalle in Paris, which played host to the second Modern Olympics, this catalog focuses on the artifacts that tell the story of the Olympic Games over the past 118 years. Offering a host of medals, torches, autographs, and other memorabilia, the variety of material will appeal to both long-time collectors and those new to the genre.

Among the highlights of Winner’s Medals:

Garmisch 1936 Winter Olympics Silver Winner’s Medal. The rare winner's medal issued for the Garmisch 1936 Winter Olympics. Silver, 100 mm, 325 gm, struck by Deschler and Sohn of Munich, Germany, and designed by Richard Klein. The front features a female holding a victory wreath and riding a triga on an arch above winter sports equipment, with raised text, "Garmisch-Partenkirchen"; the reverse shows the Olympic rings encircled with raised text, "IV Olympische, Winterspiele 1936." Edge is stamped "990 Silver." Only 755 athletes competed in these games, with a total of 36 gold, 36 silver, and 36 bronze medals minted. Any Garmisch winner's medal is therefore exceedingly scarce and desirable. In addition to their high rarity, the Garmisch winner's medals are among the largest and most impressive of all Olympic prize medals ever awarded. This example is the only Garmisch silver we have ever offered—a truly spectacular medal. (Estimate: $35,000+)

Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics Bronze Winner's Medal. The immensely rare unissued winner's medal from the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics. Bronze, 102 mm, 471 gm, by Leo Burnett Moscow. The front and reverse of the medal share a window with a polycarbonate crystal mosaic that features a ‘patchwork quilt’ of national designs from the various cultures and ethnicities of the Russian Federation. Additionally, the front of the medal shows the Olympic rings, and the reverse is engraved with the Sochi Games logo; the edge is likewise engraved in Russian, French, and English, “XXII Olympic Winter Games.” The medal includes its attractive dark blue ribbon, as well as its white wooden presentation box, with crack to reverse hinge area.

Based around the duality of nature, the Sochi medals depict the landscape of Sochi with the sun’s golden rays reflecting through a prism of snowy mountaintops onto the sandy beaches of the Black Sea coast. These magnificent prizes are the result of a national design competition organized by the Sochi Olympic committee, which requested that all formal entries be unique, modern, and, of course, Russian. Only a small number of spare medals—reportedly 46—were produced for the XXIIth Winter Olympiad to be awarded in the rare instance of a tie or draw. Coincidentally, the Sochi Games witnessed a pair of ties: Canada’s Jan Hudec and America’s Bode Miller tied for bronze in the Alpine skiing super-G, and Slovenia’s Tina Maze and Switzerland’s Dominique Gisin shared the gold in the Alpine skiing downhill, the first time a skiing event has had a joint gold medal. A truly exceptional medal from the most recent Winter Olympics, made all the more desirable by its elaborate craftsmanship and unique distinction of being an unissued winner’s prize—the first Sochi winner's medal we have offered. (Estimate: $25,000+)

Helsinki 1952 Summer Olympics Gold Winner's Medal. The winner's medal issued for the Helsinki 1952 Summer Olympics. Gilt silver, 51 mm, 68 gm, by Giuseppe Cassioli. The front, inscribed, “XV Olympia, Helsinki, 1952,” features a ‘Seated Victory’ with the Colosseum in the background; the reverse portrays a winner carried by jubilant athletes. Factory marks on the edge, "916M" and "Y6," designate the silver content and mint. While the gilding is quite worn in several areas, it remains present in the low-relief details, accentuating this handsome and classic design. With just 320 of these first-place prize medals issued at the Helsinki Games, this is an uncommon and sought-after example. (Estimate: $15,000+)

Additional items include more than 20 Olympic Torches:

Lake Placid 1980 Winter Olympics Torch. The extremely rare 1980 Lake Placid Olympics torch, comprised of bronze-colored leather and metal, designed by Don McFarland and manufactured by Cleanweld Turner. The torch design and materials symbolized a blend of modern technology and a reference to Ancient Greece. (Estimate: $30,000+)

Calgary 1988 Winter Olympics Torch. The rare official 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics torch used during the Olympic relay, comprised of aluminum with a maple handle, emblazoned on the handle with pictograms of ten Winter Olympic sports. The top is inscribed, “XV Olympic Winter Games Calgary Alberta Canada 1988,” and the ball at the bottom is engraved with the Olympic motto, “Citius, Altius, Fortius.” Complete with its four-wick burner canister and its original black carrying bag. Designed by the National Research Council of Canada, the torch was made to resemble the Calgary Tower, an iconic landmark in the Canadian city. (Estimate: $25,000+)

Cortina 1956 Winter Olympics Torch. Official 1956 Cortina Winter Olympics torch, constructed of silver-colored metal, designed by Ralph Lavers. The torch was modeled after the one used for the 1948 London Olympics and the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, with the upper part in the shape of a cauldron with three ‘cut-outs’ of the Olympic rings, encircled below by the inscription, “VII Giochi Invernali Cortina 1956.” Complete with its original burner wick and triangular patch, reading, “Coni - Final, Belluno, 59, Staffetta Trasporto, Fiaccola Olimpica,” indicating the portion of the relay where this torch was carried—Belluno, close to Cortina itself. The ‘Olympic’ flame was lit at Rome’s Capitoline Hill on January 22, and made its way north via a unique mixture of plane, gondola, ice skates, roller skates, and manpower. (Estimate: $20,000+)

Official 1956 Cortina Winter Olympics torch, constructed of silver-colored metal, designed by Ralph Lavers. The torch was modeled after the one used for the 1948 London Olympics and the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, with the upper part in the shape of a cauldron with three ‘cut-outs’ of the Olympic rings, encircled below by the inscription, “VII Giochi Invernali Cortina 1956.” Complete with its original burner wick and triangular patch, reading, “Coni - Final, Belluno, 59, Staffetta Trasporto, Fiaccola Olimpica,” indicating the portion of the relay where this torch was carried—Belluno, close to Cortina itself. The ‘Olympic’ flame was lit at Rome’s Capitoline Hill on January 22, and made its way north via a unique mixture of plane, gondola, ice skates, roller skates, and manpower. (Estimate: $20,000+)

The Olympic auction from RR Auction will conclude on January 18.