Participation medal issued for the Paris 1900 Olympics. Silvered bronze, 42 mm x 60 mm, 57 gm, by Frederic Vernon, Paris. The front, inscribed "Republique Francaise, Exposition Universelle, Paris 1900," features a winged goddess scattering laurels over the grounds of the Exposition; the reverse identifies the sport as physical exercise and sports, "Exercices Physiques et Sports," and depicts a victorious athlete upon a podium. Stamped "Bronze" on the edge.
Previously considered to be winner's medals, recently discovered evidence shows that the 1900 Paris plaquettes with “Exercices Physiques et Sports” stamped on the reverse were participation medals, presented to the staff overseeing the sports competitions (Olympic Games) at the 1900 Paris Exposition (see: 'Report General Administratif Et Technique' by M. Alfred Picard, Volume 6, pp. 66-67). A total of 1400 medals were struck in both silvered bronze and solid silver.
