BC Lottery 2010 Bid Supporter Pin

The Vancouver Sun runs a sidebar in its Road to 2010 weekly feature called Collectors' Corner ... and it seems tailor-made for this blog. Enjoy.

What: B.C. Lottery Corporation Bid Supporter Pin

Trade value: $40.

History: In the bid phase, Vancouver enjoyed support from companies that included Telus, ICBC, Molson, and media organizations. But only one company, BC Lotteries, appears to have produced a pin to celebrate Vancouver's entry into the Olympic process.

The Crown corporation underwrote two types of pins. One, a vertical domed paper label pin, was for Lotteries staff and to hand out to the public in limited numbers. It was made in two versions, with gold and silver backing.

The other style was a series of three horizontal pins with the term "Team 2010" atop a BC Lotteries logo and the term "Vancouver 2010 Founding Supporter."

These pins, produced in 2003 just before Vancouver's win, came in silver, gold and a cloisonné-style white enamel with a coloured logo. They were handed out only to BC Lotteries staff and a small number of volunteers and bid staff.

Only 4,000 of the vertical pins were produced in May 2001. Laurie Artiss produced very, very small numbers of the three horizontals.

All are scarce, and if found, sell for between $40 and $50 US.