Olympic Pins Catalog & Collector Community

Olympic pins are collectible enamel lapel badges produced for the Olympic Games. First introduced as cardboard identification badges at Athens 1896 and metal souvenir badges at Stockholm 1912, they have evolved into the official memorabilia of the Games, representing host cities, National Olympic Committees (NOCs), corporate sponsors, broadcasters, sports, and mascots.

Olympic pin trading is considered the "unofficial sport" of the Olympic Games. Athletes, volunteers, journalists, and spectators trade pins in host cities to break language and cultural barriers, celebrate their Olympic journey, and collect rare pins from delegations around the world.

The rarest and most valuable Olympic pins include athlete-only NOC delegation pins, low-mintage broadcaster/media pins, prototype or misprint pins, commemorative sponsor puzzles, and antique pins from pre-war Olympic Games (1896–1936), which can sell for hundreds or thousands of dollars at collector auctions.

The main categories of Olympic pins are: 1) National Olympic Committee (NOC) pins representing national teams, 2) Host City and Organizing Committee (OCOG) pins, 3) Worldwide TOP Partner and Sponsor pins (e.g., Coca-Cola, Omega, Visa), 4) Media and Broadcaster pins (e.g., NBC, BBC, OBS), and 5) Mascot, Sport, and Countdown pins.

Authentic Olympic pins feature crisp enamel fills, official backstamps or hallmarks indicating the Olympic rings, copyright markings (e.g., "© IOC" or Organizing Committee trademarks), and sometimes holographic security labels or serial numbers on limited editions.