This torch hails from the 1968 Summer Olympics relay that carried the flame to Mexico City. There were five different variations and this 'Type C' version is the rarest of them all. The relay began on August 23, 1968, in Olympia, Greece, and retraced the route taken by Christopher Columbus to discover the New World, traveling through his birthplace in Genoa as well as where he initially set sail from Palos in Spain to the first land he reached in San Salvador. In all, the flame traveled 13,620 km over 25 days through the hands of 2,778 torchbearers before arriving at Olympic Stadium, where Norma Enriqueta Basilio de Sotelo of Mexico became the first woman to ever light the Olympic cauldron.

Constructed of a silver white-cast metal with a wrapped rope handle, its rather primitive look features an artistic top with "MEXICO 68" creatively crafted twice around the rim. The torch has a compact size of 17 1/2" (44 cm) long, 4" (10 cm) in diameter at the flame opening, and weighs 3 lbs. We are unsure if this torch was used; the interior holder/burner appears does not show signs of combustion and the exterior shaft is mostly smooth with just two dinged areas that could be from storage. Overall it presents in EX-MT condition. This 'Type C' example -- the most important style used to light the Olympic cauldron at the opening ceremonies -- rarely comes up for public auction, especially in complete form with its original roped handle perfectly intact as it is here. An iconic memento from the Games that showcased perhaps the most important Civil Rights demonstration in sports history: the famous Black Power Salute by African-American 200m medalists Tommie Smith and John Carlos.