Metal Cup Trophies and Awards

What is the difference between a cup and a trophy?

A cup trophy is a specific type of trophy. A cup trophy consists of a cup, which is typically metal, but could be made of metal, glass, or plastic, that is mounted on a base which could also be metal (like the Stanley Cup) or wood (like the Winston Cup), or marble. So a cup can be a trophy, but not all trophies are cups.

Cup trophies are typically loving cups, or a cup with two handles on them. The tradition of using loving cups for trophies goes way, way back to ceremonial cups that were used at weddings. Somehow the design became a standard for cups awarded to the winners of games. Today, it seems like nearly all cups used as trophies have two handles and are made in the Loving Cup style. There are some cup designs, particularly the more contemporary designs that do not have handles on them, like our Calla Cup, which features a brightly colored interior and a shiny gold colored exterior.

Cup trophies can be used a single time as a trophy awarded to the winner of an event, like the winner of the dance contest in "Its a Wonderful Life", or they can be used over and over again for an event that happens annually, like the Stanley Cup. When a trophy is used again and again for an annual event, it is referred to as a perpetual trophy and it has engraving on the base to commemorate the winner of the cup each year. This is also referred to as a traveling trophy because the winner of the award can keep it until the next year.