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Winner's medal awarded to British tug of war competitor Frederick W. Holmes at the Antwerp 1920 Olympics. Gilt silver, 60 mm, 89 gm, by Josue Dupon. The front shows a victorious athlete holding a laurel wreath and palm branch, with a statue of Renommee in the background, inscribed "VII Olympiade"; the reverse depicts the Brabo fountain above the Antwerp shield, with the Cathedral of Our Lady and city looming in the background, inscribed above, "Anvers MCMXX." Bottom edge is stamped “A” for 'Argent,' with a custom engraving commemorating the event: "Tug of War, City of London Police, 1st, F. Holmes." Includes its original maroon Hoosemans presentation case, the top of which is marked in gilt, “1st Prix, VII Olympiade, Anvers 1920.”
Accompanied by an assortment of related ephemera, including: a real photo postcard of the tug of war competition held at the Antwerp 1920 Games; a certified copy of Holmes's birth certificate; a certified copy of Holmes's marriage certificate; Holmes's death certificate; a handwritten letter by Holmes to his wife; his Oddfellows Lodge booklet; and three vintage family photos.
Frederick W. Holmes helped carry Great Britain to gold in the men’s tug of war at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, a compact but memorable competition held on August 17–18 with 40 athletes from five nations. Holmes was one of eight British pullers on a team made up entirely of City of London Police officers, and Britain dominated the event, defeating the United States, Belgium, and the Netherlands by 2–0 scores on its way to first place. The victory was historically significant because 1920 marked the final appearance of tug of war on the Olympic program, making Holmes not only an Olympic champion but one of the last gold medalists in the sport’s Olympic history.
