Profile: A Lapel Pin and Medal from the 1972 European Championships, Gothenburg, Sweden
What goes around comes around, it is said, which is true when it comes to figure skating pins. That’s certainly the case with the design for the 1972 European Figure Skating Championships pin and medal. Drawing from what was done for the 1968 European Championships, hosted in Västerås, Sweden, the organizing committee for the 1972 Championships, held in Gothenburg, opted to reuse the same general design with only slight modifications. Don’t mess with success must have been the order of the day. And when a design is good, as is the case with the 1968 pin, not messing with success made sense. This is especially true when a national symbol as regal as the Three Crowns of Sweden can be used.
The Netropolitan Museum of Figure Skating Pins has published several blogs about the compulsory figure called the loop used as a logo or branding element. And here again is that perennial favorite. See the gallery below for the main logo pin and participant medal from this event. Also see the links at the end of the blog for other events where the loop was the star figure.
The 1972 European Figure Skating Championships pin is stamped from a gold-color base metal with a pebbly textured center and smooth letters and border.
Instead of the rich blue color seen on the 1968 Europeans pin, the 1972 Europeans pin is stamped from a gold-color base metal with a pebbly textured center and smooth letters and border. The Three Crowns are worked cleverly into the design. One crown is enclosed in the smaller inner loop of the figure while the other two sit regally atop the pin. In the center are the event name, year, and location: “EM” (for “Europamästerskap”), “72,” and “Sweden.” Note that the host city name and dates of the event are not included, elements often seen on figure skating pins. The pin measures approximately 3/4″ x 3/4″ (1.9 cm x 1.9 cm). As one can see, the simplicity and size of the pin create a stylish combination; the design is really marvelous.
Shown next is the participant medal, which features the same design and arrangement of elements but is done in a highly reflective gold-color metal. The bright blue used for the tracing and wording balances well against the gold, and there is no doubt the medal is of Swedish origin. Presented in a custom case, this medal would have been made in limited number and likely given only to competitors and selected officials. It measures approximately 2‑3/8″ x 2‑3/8″ (6 cm x 6 cm).
For more on the compulsory figure called the loop, see it on display on pins from these events:
- European Figure Skating Championships
- World Figure Skating Championships
Enjoy this week’s figure skating pins blog: A Crowning Achievement: 1972 European Figure Skating Championships Pins.
Pins Gallery: 1972 European Figure Skating Championships
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