Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass presented Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo with the official LA28 Handover Medallion designed and struck by the United States Mint to honor the closing ceremonies of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games on Sunday, August 11, as part of a tradition that honors the past while looking to the future.
A historic tradition during the closing ceremonies, the mayors of the host cities of the closing and upcoming Olympic Games join the International Olympic Committee Officials (IOCC) on stage, and the flag of the games is lowered and passed from mayor to mayor as a symbolic highlight.
Each host city has historically provided an official gift, typically a coin or medallion, to serve as both an expression of goodwill between nations and a signal of a major milestone in the Games itself. The handover medallion marks the official hand-off of the Games and celebrates the two cities/countries hosting them.
“We are proud to have a creative role in celebrating the unique status of the Olympic Games,” said United States Mint Director Ventris C. Gibson. “The LA28 Handover Medallion salutes the remarkable achievement of the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee, while at the same time represents the excitement of the United States hosting the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.”
Created by the United States Mint, the obverse of the 99.9% silver medallion is designed by Mint Chief Engraver Joseph Menna, and the reverse is designed by Mint Medallic Artist Phebe Hemphill. The designs recognize the art and culture inspired by this year’s host city, Paris, and the future host city of the next Olympiad, Los Angeles.
The obverse design features a stylized depiction of “The Winged Victory of Samothrace” alongside the inscriptions “PARIS 2024” and “LOS ANGELES 2028” done in Art Deco and Graffiti Arts style, respectively.
The reverse design depicts the Arc de Triomphe in the foreground with the Los Angeles Coliseum centered in the background, a visual representation of the games transitioning from Paris to Los Angeles. Centered above the Coliseum is the LA28 Olympic Handover emblem.
The Secretary of the Treasury authorized the Mint to produce both the official Handover Medallion as well as additional silver duplicate medals provided to the United States Olympic and Paralympic Properties (USOPP) for the purpose of presentation to dignitaries in conjunction with the closing ceremonies of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.
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