Skip to main content
Smithsonian main website

Search

Donate

EnglishEnglish
EnglishEnglishAfrikaansAfrikaansAlbanianAlbanianAmharicAmharicArabicArabicArmenianArmenianAzerbaijaniAzerbaijaniBasqueBasqueBelarusianBelarusianBengaliBengaliBosnianBosnianBulgarianBulgarianCatalanCatalanCebuanoCebuanoChichewaChichewaChinese (Simplified)Chinese (Simplified)Chinese (Traditional)Chinese (Traditional)CorsicanCorsicanCroatianCroatianCzechCzechDanishDanishDutchDutchEsperantoEsperantoEstonianEstonianFilipinoFilipinoFinnishFinnishFrenchFrenchFrisianFrisianGalicianGalicianGeorgianGeorgianGermanGermanGreekGreekGujaratiGujaratiHaitian CreoleHaitian CreoleHausaHausaHawaiianHawaiianHebrewHebrewHindiHindiHmongHmongHungarianHungarianIcelandicIcelandicIgboIgboIndonesianIndonesianIrishIrishItalianItalianJapaneseJapaneseJavaneseJavaneseKannadaKannadaKazakhKazakhKhmerKhmerKoreanKoreanKurdish (Kurmanji)Kurdish (Kurmanji)KyrgyzKyrgyzLaoLaoLatinLatinLatvianLatvianLithuanianLithuanianLuxembourgishLuxembourgishMacedonianMacedonianMalagasyMalagasyMalayMalayMalayalamMalayalamMalteseMalteseMaoriMaoriMarathiMarathiMongolianMongolianMyanmar (Burmese)Myanmar (Burmese)NepaliNepaliNorwegianNorwegianPashtoPashtoPersianPersianPolishPolishPortuguesePortuguesePunjabiPunjabiRomanianRomanianRussianRussianSamoanSamoanScottish GaelicScottish GaelicSerbianSerbianSesothoSesothoShonaShonaSindhiSindhiSinhalaSinhalaSlovakSlovakSlovenianSlovenianSomaliSomaliSpanishSpanishSudaneseSudaneseSwahiliSwahiliSwedishSwedishTajikTajikTamilTamilTeluguTeluguThaiThaiTurkishTurkishUkrainianUkrainianUrduUrduUzbekUzbekVietnameseVietnameseWelshWelshXhosaXhosaYiddishYiddishYorubaYorubaZuluZulu
Smithsonian sunburst Smithsonian National Postal Museum
  • Visit
    Visit
    • Plan Your Visit
    • Location and Directions
    • Calendar of Events
    • Public Programs
    • Floor Plan
    • Tours and Itineraries
    • Amenities
    • Accessibility
    • Reviews
    • Alerts
    Visit »

    Open daily 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

    Admission is always free!

    2 Massachusetts Ave., N.E.
    Washington, DC 20002

    Our entrance is on the corner of First Street and Massachusetts Avenue NE.

    street map of Postal museum

    Learn more
  • Exhibitions
    Exhibitions
    • Current Exhibitions
    • Past Exhibitions
    • Virtual Exhibitions
    • Upcoming Exhibitions
    The museum's Atrium
  • Learn
    Learn
    • For Researchers
    • For Educators
    • National History Day
    • Topical Reference Pages
    • Oral History
    • Research Articles
    • Stamp Collecting
    • One-Minute Wonders
    • Social Media
    • Activities
    Front windows showing stamp images at night
  • Collections
    Collections
    • Search the Collection
    • Collections Search Center
    • Collection History
    • National Postal Museum Archives
    • Donating Collection Objects or Archival Materials
    • Object Loans
    • Collection Projects
    • Object Spotlight
    • Digital Asset Collections
    • Rights and Reproductions
    • Preservation
    • Shared Stewardship and Ethical Returns
    People in front of log post office building
  • About
    About
    • About the Museum
    • About Us
    • FAQs
    • Support the Museum
    • Host an Event
    • National Postal Museum Gala
    • Philatelic Achievement Award
    • Contact Us
    • Press
    • Site Map
    Information Desk in the Historic Lobby
  • Blog
  • Home
  • Collections
  • Search the Collection
  • Athens souvenir pin from the 2004 Athens Summer Olympic Games
Click to view social media share links

Athens souvenir pin from the 2004 Athens Summer Olympic Games

Object Details

Description (Brief)
Athens souvenir pin from the 2004 Athens Summer Olympic Games is a gold and blue pin featuring a laurel wreath and Olympic rings and is attached to paper card. Olympic pin collecting began as early as 1900 and gained momentum at the 1936 Games. Through the 1960s pin trading was on the upswing but really took off at the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Games with sponsor's becoming more prevalent. Coca-Cola set up a pin trading area at the Calgary Games which gave a boost to the hobby which is still a big part of the Olympic experience.
The 2004 Summer Olympics, also known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad were held in Athens, Greece with 204 countries, 6,296 men and 4,329 women athletes participating. This was the first time the Games returned to their city of origin since the 1896 Games. American swimmer Michael Phelps earned six gold medals, setting a single-Games record with eight medals while the American women won the gold in the 4x200 relay. American Mariel Zagunis won the gold in the debut sport of Women’s sabre fencing and gymnast Carly Patterson became the second American woman to win gold in the all-around competition. The United States won the medal count with 101 medals.
Location
Currently not on view
Credit Line
From Ms. Patricia Mink
Data Source
National Museum of American History
date made
2004
ID Number
2012.3052.17
nonaccession number
2012.3052
catalog number
2012.3052.17
Object Name
olympic pin
pin, summer olympics
Physical Description
metal (overall material)
paper (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 1/4 in x 2 in x 3 in; .635 cm x 5.08 cm x 7.62 cm
See more items in
Culture and the Arts: Sport and Leisure
level of sport
Olympics
web subject
Sports
Collectors
related event
Olympic Summer Games: Athens, 2004
Olympic Summer Games: Athens, 1896
Record ID
nmah_1424062
Usage
CC0
GUID
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746ad-a58c-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
Olympic pin, Athens 2004
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
View manifest View in Mirador Viewer

Home Smithsonian National Postal Museum

Visit »

Open daily 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Admission is always free!

2 Massachusetts Ave., N.E.
Washington, DC 20002

Our entrance is on the corner of First Street and Massachusetts Avenue NE.

street map of Postal museum

Learn more
  • Privacy
  • Terms of Use
  • Press
  • Site Map
  • e-News
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
  • Flickr

Have you signed up for our monthly e-newsletter?

Owney, the Railway Mail Service Mascot

Back to Top