1960 Commemorative USA Hockey Gold Medal Pin

This pin commemorates the United States' gold medal victory during the 1960 Winter Games held in Squaw Valley, California. In regard to ice hockey, the 1960 Games were important because they marked the first time that nations began questioning the amateur status of some of the participants. In particular, Canadian Olympic officials called into question the legitimacy of military jobs held by members of the Soviet Union hockey team, claiming that instead of working the Soviet athletes were able to play hockey full time which gave them an advantage in international play. This dispute raged on and ultimately led to the Canadian boycott of the 1972 Olympic hockey tournament. During the 1960 hockey tournament, the Americans defeated the heavily favored Canadians (by a score of 2-1) and the Soviets (by a score of 3-2) to claim the improbable gold medal. (Parenthetically, the Canadians beat the Soviet Team at the 1960 Games by a score of 8-5.) This pin has a value of $25.00 USD, mostly because it (and any other hockey pins from the 1960 Games) are very difficult to find.