Last Updated on December 28, 2021 by Netropolitan Museum

1965 U.S. Championships at The Netropolitan Museum of Figure Skating Pins

With a long and storied history of hosting major winter sports events—from speed skating to skiing to hockey to bobsledding to figure skating—Lake Placid, New York, rolled out the red carpet in mid-February for the nation’s premiere figure skating event, the 1965 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. By that time, the small village in the Adirondacks already had an Olympic history, having welcomed the world for the 1932 Olympic Winter Games. That Herculean feat that would be repeated for the 1980 Olympic Winter Games.

Over the years, few figure skating pins have been cast from sterling silver, and the 1965 U.S. Championships pin is among the finest of such pins. In fact, it is the only U.S. Championships pin ever issued in sterling silver, an alloy often used in jewelry making, and is stamped “STERLING” on the reverse. At the center of the pin, a figure skating pair in relief provides strong contrast with the red enamel border that encircles the pin. Contained in the outer border is the event name, “National Figure Skating Championships 1965,” and displayed above and below the skating pair is the host club name, “The Skating Club of Lake Placid.” The simple, elegant design of the pin commemorates the event in standout fashion.

The pin shown in the gallery has developed a rich patina … that helps to tell the story today, some 56 years after the event.

The pin shown in the gallery has developed a rich patina and exhibits tarnishing at its center that serves to highlight time. Although the pin could be resorted to a near-new look with some simple polishing and buffing, the history represented in the patina needs to be preserved. It helps to tell the story today, some 56 years after the event.

Enjoy In the Adirondacks. 1965.
(This is an edited edition of a blog titled “Main Street USA. 1965.” originally published August 8, 2020.)

1965 U.S. Figure Skating Championships Pin Gallery

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