Although the first Olympic coin can be traced back to 480 BC, the modern
Olympics
The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...
did not see its first
commemoratives until 1951. The original concept of Olympic
coin
A coin is a small, flat (usually depending on the country or value), round piece of metal or plastic used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order t ...
s was that the
Greeks
The Greeks or Hellenes (; el, Έλληνες, ''Éllines'' ) are an ethnic group and nation indigenous to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions, namely Greece, Cyprus, Albania, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, and, to a lesser extent, oth ...
believed that coins brought the
general public
In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...
closer to the Olympic games.
[Coins of the Modern Olympic Games, Volume 1, Michele Menard, page 8, ] The premise was that those who could not attend the games could at least have a tangible souvenir of the event.
In 1951, the government of
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
authorized the striking of the first modern Olympic coin, a 500
Markkaa. The first Winter Games coin that
numismatists
A numismatist is a specialist in numismatics ("of coins"; from Late Latin ''numismatis'', genitive of ''numisma''). Numismatists include collectors, specialist dealers, and scholars who use coins and other currency in object-based research. Altho ...
could add to their collection was in 1964. An Official Act of the Government of
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
authorized the Austrian Mint to strike a commemorative 50 Schilling coin for the event.
With the exception of Canada's Lucky Loonie program and its 2007 25-cent pieces to commemorate the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games, it is rare that Olympic coins are minted for circulation. Traditionally, Olympic coins are numismatic coins.
* ''Please see
Summer Olympic coins for details on summer games coins from 1952–1996.''
* ''Please see
Summer Olympic Coins (2000-present) for 21st Century Olympic coins.
Winter Games
Specifications for Winter Games coins
1964 Innsbruck Olympics
Specifications
Dimensions
1972 Sapporo Olympics
Specifications
Dimensions
1976 Innsbruck Olympics
The games were to be held in
Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
,
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...
but after two years of preparation, the city withdrew and Innsbruck was chosen to stage the Games. The
Hall Mint, one of the oldest mints in
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
was reopened to strike some of the coins.
Series One
Specifications
Dimensions
NOTE: The Federal Provinces are: Burgenland, Carinthia, Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Salzburg, Styria, Tyrol, Vorallberg and Vienna
Series Two
Specifications
Dimensions
Series Three
Specifications
Dimensions
Series Four
Specifications
Dimensions
1984 Sarajevo Olympics
At the time,
Sarajevo
Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its a ...
was the second largest city to host the Olympic Winter Games.
[Coins of the Modern Olympic Games, Volume 1, Michelle Menard, p. 166, ] These were the first Winter Olympic Games that featured gold coins.
of Finland was the first woman to win three gold medals in cross country skiing.
Katarina Witt
Katarina Witt (, ; born 3 December 1965) is a German former figure skater. A two-time Olympic champion, Witt is regarded as one of the greatest ladies' singles figure skaters of all time. Her Laureus profile states "she is remembered most for h ...
won her first Olympic gold medal in
Figure Skating
Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, when contested at the 1908 Olympics in London. The Olympic disciplines are me ...
, and figure skating duo
Jayne Torvill
Jayne Torvill, OBE (born 7 October 1957) is a British professional ice dancer and former competitor. With Christopher Dean, she won a gold medal at the 1984 Winter Olympics and a bronze medal at the 1994 Winter Olympics, becoming one of the ...
and Christopher Dean won the Gold Medal, and performed to the music of Ravel's Bolero.
100 Dinara
The dimensions are the same for all the 100 Dinara coins. Each series of coins had the same themes: Culture and History, Ice Sports, and Snow Sports.
* Dimensions
The artists for all Reverse Designs were Nebojsa Mitric, Dragisa Andric, Dragomir Mileusnic, Djordje Jovanovic, and Ljubisa Mancic. The artist for all Obverse Designs was Nebojsa Mitric.
* Specifications
250 Dinara
The dimensions are the same for all the 250 Dinara coins. Each series of coins had the same themes: Culture and History, Ice Sports, and Snow Sports.
* Dimensions
The artists for all Reverse Designs were Nebojsa Mitric, Dragisa Andric, Dragomir Mileusnic, Djordje Jovanovic, and Ljubisa Mancic. The artist for all Obverse Designs was Nebojsa Mitric.
* Specifications
500 Dinara
The dimensions are the same for all the 500 Dinara coins. Each series of coins had the same themes: Culture and History, Ice Sports, and Snow Sports.
* Dimensions
The artists for all Reverse Designs were Nebojsa Mitric, Dragisa Andric, Dragomir Mileusnic, Djordje Jovanovic, and Ljubisa Mancic. The artist for all Obverse Designs was Nebojsa Mitric.
* Specifications
5000 Dinara
The dimensions are the same for all the 5000 Dinara coins.
* Dimensions
The artists for all Reverse Designs were Nebojsa Mitric, Dragisa Andric, Dragomir Mileusnic, Djordje Jovanovic, and Ljubisa Mancic. The artist for all Obverse Designs was Nebojsa Mitric.
* Specifications
1988 Calgary Olympics
Heading into the 1980s, the Olympics would return to Canada. The city of Calgary would host the
1988 Winter Olympics
The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games (french: XVes Jeux olympiques d'hiver) and commonly known as Calgary 1988 ( bla, Mohkínsstsisi 1988; sto, Wîchîspa Oyade 1988 or ; cr, Otôskwanihk 1998/; srs, Guts ...
. Starting in 1985, the Federal Government, under the leadership of then-Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, issued a ten coin set to help finance and commemorate the Olympic games. In similar style to the Montreal Olympics, the RCM would introduce coins with a face value that had never been used before. Said coins would feature a $20 face value. These coins were issued in Proof quality only, and were sold with the partnership of the Royal Bank of Canada. Unlike the Montreal coins, mintage was limited to 5,000,000 coins and this would mark the first time that any silver coin had edge lettering on it. Said lettering was 'XV OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES – JEUX D'OLYMPIQUES D'HIVER.'
20 Dollars
One Hundred Dollars Gold
1992 Albertville Olympics
The Albertville Olympics were the third Olympic Winter games held in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. To commemorate the event, the Government of France authorized the striking of ten gold and nine silver coins.
100 Francs
* Dimensions
* Specifications
500 Francs
* Dimensions
* Specifications
1998 Nagano Olympics
Series One
Series Two
Series Three
2002 Salt Lake City Olympics
One Dollar
Due to the abject failure of the 1996 program, this year's coins were limited to one silver and one gold piece each.
Five Dollars
2006 Turin Games
A total of 11 coins were minted for the Turin Olympic Games. There were five gold coins and six silver coins. The Silver coins feature the complete line-up of sterling silver coins that have been issued by the Italian State Mint (IPZS) to highlight six of the major disciplines that will be held during the XX Olympic Winter Games Torino 2006. Each coin is struck in proof finish.
Base Metal Coins
Silver Coins
Five Euros
Ten Euros
Gold Coin
Fifty Euros
2010 Vancouver Olympics
The
Royal Canadian Mint
}) is the mint of Canada and a Crown corporation, operating under the ''Royal Canadian Mint Act''. The shares of the Mint are held in trust for the Crown in right of Canada.
The Mint produces all of Canada's circulation coins, and manufactures ...
held a press conference in
Calgary
Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...
, Alberta to announce the release of the Vancouver Olympic commemorative coins. The newest denomination for the Vancouver Olympic coins is twenty-five dollars. The twenty-five dollar coins are the first
Modern Olympic coins ever to have a hologram on the reverse. The RCM plans to release 12 twenty-five dollar coins, 10 seventy-five dollar coins, 3 14-karat coins, and 4 one kilogram coins (two in silver, two in gold).
[Royal Canadian Mint website, Path: www.mint.ca, The Royal Canadian Mint, News, News Releases, Date: February 21, 2007]
With regards to the circulation coins, one of the novelties is that D.G. Regina will be removed from the Queen's effigy, making the 25-cent coins the first "godless circulating coins" since the 1911 issue of King George V.
[“14 circulating coins included in 2010 Olympic program”, Bret Evans, Canadian Coin News, January 23 to February 5, 2007 issue of Canadian Coin News] The first circulating $1 coin will be dated 2008 but the obverse will be the standard effigy of Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt with the wording "ELIZABETH II" and "D.G. REGINA" with the Circle M privy mark.
Twenty-Five Cents
Specifications
There have been a couple of circulation mules in this series. 2007 Paralympic wheelchair curling and 2009 bobsleigh
Details
Mascot Coins
One Dollar
Twenty-Five Dollars
Specifications
Dimensions
Seventy-Five Dollars
Specifications
Dimensions
Two Hundred and Fifty Dollars
Specifications
Dimensions
Three Hundred Dollars
Specifications
Dimensions
Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars
Specifications
Dimensions
Bullion Coins
The Royal Canadian Mint and the International Olympic Committee have reached an agreement on Olympic Gold and Silver Maple Leaf coins. The announcement was made on August 3, 2007 and the agreement allows the RCM to strike bullion coins with the emblems of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
[“Maples will sport Olympic Rings”, Bret Evans, Canadian Coin News, September 4 to September 17, 2007] The issue will consist of two coins: one
Gold Maple Leaf coin and a
Canadian Silver Maple Leaf
The Canadian Silver Maple Leaf is a silver bullion coin that is issued annually by the Government of Canada since 1988. It is produced by the Royal Canadian Mint.
The Silver Maple Leaf is legal tender. The face value is 5 Canadian dollars. The m ...
coin and both coins will feature the date of 2008. The new agreement means that the RCM is now selling Olympic coins through all of its major business lines: bullion, circulation, numismatics.
2014 Sochi Olympics
Commemorative Coins of Base Metals
Specifications
Details
Commemorative Coins of Precious Metals
Investment Coins
2018 PyeongChang Olympics
Commemorative coins of base metals
References
{{reflist
Olympics, Winter
Coins, Modern
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