The aluminium sculpture, which was designed by veteran Disney artist John Hench, is Torch number 12 of 23 and was expected to fetch an estimated $175,000 (£107,000/€135,000) plus 15 per cent buyer’s fee at the mail bid auction by specialist Olympic memorabilia auctioneer Ingrid O'Neil in the United States.

A Geir Grung and Adolf Thoresen-designed Oslo 1952 Winter Olympic Torch, of which less than 100 were made, fetched $95,000 (£59,000/€74,000) at the auction to top its estimate of $85,000 (£52,000/€66,000), while a rare Calgary 1988 Torch exceeded its estimated $39,000 (£24,000/€30,000) and sold for $55,000 (£35,000/€43,000).

Elsewhere, a Rome 1960 Torch made $12,000 (£7,500/€9,300) after being estimated at $9,500 (£6,000/€7,400) and a rare ticket from the first Winter Olympic Games in Chamonix in 1924 sold for $6,380 (£4,000/€4,900).

An Oslo 1952 Winter Olympic Torch, of which less than 100 were made, fetched $95,000 at the auction ©Ingrid O'Neil


The auction also included around 40 Games medals, among which was a rare Athens 1906 cased gold medal estimated at $9,000 (£5,500/€6,900) that sold for $16,500 (£10,000/€13,000), an Athens 2004 baseball gold medal that made $15,400 (£9,600/€12,000) and a Mexico City 1968 swimming silver medal that fetched $15,000 (£9,300/€11,600).

"It was very successful, and especially popular were Torches, winners' medals and pins of the National Olympic Committees," O'Neil told insidethegames.

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