1964 European Figure Skating Pins: Olympic Dress Rehearsal.

Last Updated on October 25, 2025 by Netropolitan Museum

Grenoble’s 1964 European Championships set the stage for future Olympic glory

As the world turned its attention to Innsbruck, Austria, for the start of the 1964 Olympic Winter Games, the city of Grenoble, France, was already preparing for its own Olympic moment that would happen four years later. One of the key stepping stones came that same winter when the city hosted the 1964 European Figure Skating Championships, marked by a series of beautiful and well-made pins. On the ice, a few of those who competed at the 1964 Europeans as underlings would return to the city in 1968 in search of an Olympic medal.

Although the results were unspectacular and instead turned out much as expected, the event truly outdid itself with an artistic, high-quality pin to commemorate the occasion. Seasoned collectors agree that the 1964 Europeans pin is among the most beautiful—if not the most beautiful—issued for a European Championship. Everything about it is right, from the delightfully off-kilter design to the colors used to the simplicity of style to the slightly textured background that shimmers. And to top it off, in gilding-the-lily style, specially marked and differently colored ribbons were affixed to the pins given to officials, competitors, press, and others. Several examples of these are shown in the gallery.

Pins Gallery: 1964 European Championships Gallery

The pin is on a rich gold-colored base metal with blue and white enamel fills on both the main background and the central female figure skater in an elegant spiral position. The skater seems to float on the pin, her extended arms and leg reaching beyond the constraints of the background shape. It is effective and clever design and one of the better illustrations of a skater that has been seen on pins. Around the perimeter of the pin are the event location, name, and year: “Grenoble Championnat d’Europe 1964.” Note how the shape behind the skater is off-center on the pin, creating white space that is highly appealing visually. Shown in the gallery are:

• Main Logo Pin
• Unmarked Official (light blue ribbon)
• “Concurrent” = “Competitor”
• “Officiel” = “Official”
• Unmarked Official (multi-stripe ribbon, reminiscent of the French flag)
• “Presse” = “Press”

The 1964 European Figure Skating Championships pins remain as standout examples of mid-20th-century figure skating memorabilia—combining artistry, elegance, and thoughtful design and making them highly sought-after among collectors today..

This blog was originally published at The Netropolitan Museum of Figure Skating Pins on March 20, 2021, and has been updated with new and expanded information.

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