Thomas Lyte Unveils Copa America Trophy
The winners of the 2016 Copa America Centenario tournament will lift a brand new trophy, in commemoration of the 100th year of the tournament.
Beginning on 3rd June, the tournament will be played across ten cities across the United States, with the final to be played on 26th June at the MetLife Stadium, New Jersey.
To celebrate the event, CONCACAF and CONMEBOL commissioned a special trophy designed by ÉPICO Studios in the United States and crafted in London, by Thomas Lyte, Goldsmiths and Silversmiths to her Majesty the Queen, and official award supplier of the BT Sport Industry Awards.
The trophy is the first of its kind in 100 years, and as a result, will only be played for once.
The initial design took 89 days to complete, followed by a further 98 days of craft work to produce the finished trophy.
Kevin Baker, founder and CEO of Thomas Lyte, said: “We are honoured and delighted to be the makers of the new Copa America Cup, especially as it symbolises 100 years of such an incredible sporting tournament. This trophy will be a national treasure and an icon of American football, its heritage is embedded within the design and craft of each individual element. Thomas Lyte prides itself on the skills of its expert silversmiths and this iconic symbol of competition couldn’t be in better hands.”
The trophy will be officially handed to the champion of the Copa America Centenario on June 26th, after the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
The winning team will be able to display the trophy permanently given that this is a special, one-time Copa America, the first to be hosted outside of South America.
As official silversmiths, Thomas Lyte Silver, is one of the few remaining craftwork shops in the UK producing gold and silver trophies. The London workshops are responsible for designing and making trophies across the globe and in January 2015 were granted a Royal Warrant as Goldsmith and Silversmith to Her Majesty the Queen.
