“The City of Light” was site of the 1958 World Figure Skating Championships, held in February of that year at the Palais de Sport. The Paris event marks a World Championships with a quite difficult-to-find pin. In The Curator’s nearly 40 years of collecting, the 1958 pin has presented itself only three times. It is a rarity, much like the city of Paris itself.
Paris is among the most famous cities in the world, known for high fashion, exceptional art and museums, innovative design, classic architecture, and so much more. In short, an epicenter of culture and creativity. It is therefore somewhat surprising that the pin made to commemorate the sport’s premier event is rather unremarkable. In fact, the design is an adaptation of that used by the Fédération Française des Sports de Glace (FFSG) in its own federation and test pins from the era.
It’s somewhat surprising that the pin made to commemorate the sport’s premier event is rather unremarkable.
On a gold-color base metal, the enamel pin features a central snowflake design, a motif often seen on pins issued for figure skating events. The French flag and the letters “FFSG” combine with the snowflake to create a colorful and distinctive focal point. Around the circumference of the pin on a black background is “Championnats du Monde Paris Fevrier 1958.” The pin is nicely sized at 1-3/16″ diameter (approx. 3 cm).
Interestingly, the 1958 World Championships were sandwiched between the 1957 and 1959 events, both of which were held in Colorado Springs, Colorado, at The Broadmoor World Arena. Look for the pins from those two event in future blogs at The Netropolitan Museum of Figure Skating Pins.
Enjoy Paris en Février. 1958.
1958 World Championships
