MODERN US OLYMPIC COINAGE

The Olympics as a competition began in Greece in roughly 776 BC and were celebrated every four years as is traditionally done today. These celebrations were political, artistic, religious, and athletic in nature and occasionally coins were struck commemorating these events. One early coin that commemorated these Olympic Games was struck in the 460s BC and depicts an eagle flying to the left on the obverse, and a depiction of the Greek Goddess, Nike, who represents victory, on the reverse. She is depicted as running while holding a wreath, presumably to crown an Olympic victor.

 
Greek, 460s BC, Silver Stater.

But the rise of Christianity overcame the strength of a pagan celebration as far as the Olympic Games were considered. Around 400 AD, the Olympic games of Ancient Greece ended. For the next 1,500 years, no Olympic Games were held. But in 1896, the Olympic Games were, once again, revived and a number of the original games and traditions were reinstituted.

The first Olympic Games in the United States were held in 1904 in St. Louis, during the World's Fair for the celebration of the centennial of the Louisiana Purchase. It was the last time that the Olympics were held in conjunction with a World's Fair. The next Olympics held in the United States didn't occur until 1932, when the Summer Olympics were held in Los Angeles and the Winter Olympics were at Lake Placid, New York.

It took until 1952 for the first modern Olympic coin to be struck. Finland struck a 500 Markkaa silver coin to sell them as a souvenir and raise funds to diffuse the costs of hosting the Winter Olympics in Helsinki.

 
1952 Finland, 500 Markkaa Olympic Coin, Silver

While not struck by the United States Mint, Olympic coins were struck by the Royal Canadian Mint in 1976 for the Winter Olympics. The RCM had put together a very ambitious series of coins for collectors to enjoy. Between 1974 and 1976, the RCM sold a series of twenty-eight .925 Sterling silver coins and two gold coins, one of 14 karat fineness and one in 22 karats. Due to our close proximity, these coins were very popular in the United States.

The year 1984 marked an important year in United States Olympic coinage history. The Summer Olympics were occurring once again in Los Angeles. The United States Congress authorized legislation that created three different coins: 1983 and 1984-dated silver dollars and a gold five-dollar coin.

The 1992 Olympics, both Summer and Winter versions, were the XXV ‘modern' Olympics and they were held outside of the United States, in Barcelona, Spain and Albertville, France, respectively. The United States Mint created a clad half dollar, a silver dollar, and a $5 gold coin to commemorate the Olympiad and to raise funds for use by the U.S. Olympic Committee.

The obverse of the clad half dollar features a female gymnast in motion on a field of the American flag and the Olympic rings. It was designed by artists William Cousins. Steven Bieda designed the reverse which depicts the Olympic Torch crossing with an olive branch.

 
1992 Olympiad $0.50 Clad Half Dollar, Gymnast and Olympic Torch

To read the complete article, see:
Modern US Olympic Coinage (https://www.greysheet.com/news/story/modern-us-olympic-coinage)

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