The origin of trophies lies more in combat and war than sports. In ancient times the victor of a battle would take a part of the losers armor as proof of victory. This evolved into the presentment of cups commemorating achievement. Thus the familiar trophy style loving cup, which would be filled with spirits and passed around.
As sports entered the entertainment mainstream the cup began to symbolize victory and were awarded in the three most precious metals, gold silver, and bronze. These cups were the oldest form of sports trophies. The sports trophy can be passed from winner to winner as with hockey’s Stanley Cup or stored by the event with each winner’s names added to a prestigious list. Such is the case in events such as the British Open or Wimbledon.