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Lot # 999: 1964 Tokyo Olympics Weightlifting Silver Medal Awarded to "World's Strongest Man"

Starting Bid: $1,000.00

Bids: 19 (Bid History)

Time Left: Auction closed
Lot / Auction Closed




This lot is closed. Bidding is not allowed.

Item was in Auction "2018 Invitational",
which ran from 7/15/2018 9:00 AM to
8/17/2018 10:00 PM



As in a famous epic of antiquity, this replacement silver medal earned at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo went on an odyssey before making its way home. Weightlifter Isaac Berger gave his 1960 and 1964 original silver medals to his mother as a token of appreciation, and she then passed it down to Berger's blind brother. Unfortunately both medals were stolen from Berger's brother shortly after. In its stead, the United States Olympic Committee had replacements made for him, and the new medals were returned to their rightful owner. The original manufacturer of the 1964 medals is represented on the front with a raised inscription that reads "The Japanese Mint." The front is also engraved "Weightlifting." Born in Israel, Berger holds 23 world weightlifting records and was a 12-time United States National titleholder. In 1965, he was named to the United States Weightlifting Hall of Fame and in 1980, he was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. A three-time medalist, his 1964 Olympic record of 336 pounds in the jerk, at a body weight of 130 pounds, made him pound-for-pound the strongest man in the world. The medal comes with a copy of the LOA sent by the Olympic committee to Berger, and was purchased directly from Mr. Berger.

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