1898 World Figure Skating Pin: 19th Century London.

Last Updated on June 21, 2025 by Netropolitan Museum

The blend of sport, style, and controversy at one of figure skating’s early world championships

Step back into the elegance of late Victorian London, where Queen Victoria still reigned, gents wore monocles, and the pin (actually a watch fob) from the 1898 World Figure Skating Championships marked a memorable moment in early skating history. The third-ever World Figure Skating Championships were staged in Britain’s capital city on February 15, a crisp winter day filled with steel blades, stiff collars, and maybe a little scandal. It is figure skating, after all.

Only four competitors took the ice that day, since it was just a men’s event at the time. The Illustrated London News was smitten by the World Championships, calling the event “Wonderful.” But not everyone was clapping their wool-gloved hands. The eventual silver and bronze medalists protested the outcome, insisting that Swedish skater Henning Grenander took the top prize thanks to, shall we say, cozy judging. Henning’s win may not have been as simple as a triumph on foreign ice, however. By 1898, he already had been living and training in London for some time. It’s not difficult to imagine that familiarity with the local skating establishment—and perhaps even with some of the judges themselves—could have quietly tilted the scales. In retrospect, the outcome raises the possibility that one of the sport’s first judging controversies didn’t center on nationalism but on proximity.

Pin Gallery: 1898 World Figure Skating Championships

Now to the subject at hand: a watch fob that commemorates the 1898 championship. This dazzling little diamond-shaped piece of Victoriana was meant to hang from a pocket watch chain, serving up both style and skating pride. It would have been made in a limited quanity and given only to officials and, very likely, competitors.

At its center: crossed skate blades, gracefully framed by a banner of blue enamel. Two eight-pointed stars shimmer above “London 1898,” likely symbols of excellence and achievement, and echoing the motifs seen in military medals, public honors, and very proper gentlemen’s accessories of the day. “NSA” (National Skating Association) sits proudly at the top, while “ISU” (International Skating Union) is nestled in a tidy shield at the base. Altogether, it’s a masterclass in balance, depth, and very proper 19th-century design sensibility.

It’s easy to picture this charming fob catching the light as its owner strode through the streets of London, pocket watch ticking and championship memories fresh. The results may have been up for debate, but the artistry of this pin? Undeniable.

This blog was originally published at The Netropolitan Museum of Figure Skating Pins on September 19, 2020, and has been updated with new and expanded information.

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