
Hover to zoom.
The treasury of Gibraltar has released their first coin in a series of five commemorating the upcoming Summer Olympic Games scheduled to open in July 2021. The Games of the XXXII Olympiad were awarded to Tokyo on 7th September 2013. This is the second time Tokyo will play host to the summer games; the first was in 1964. Originally scheduled to take place from the 24th July to the 9th August 2020, the Olympics were postponed by one year because of the growing spread of the Wuhan strain of the coronavirus across the world. It was the first time in modern Olympic history that the games were postponed rather than cancelled, as had occurred in 1916, 1940, and 1944, owing to the First and Second World Wars. More than 11,000 athletes from over 200 countries were scheduled to take part and one year later the delayed games will now begin on July 23rd 2021.
Cycling: This popular event has been contested at every Summer Olympic Games since the birth of the modern Olympics in 1896, at which a road race and five track events were held. The design on this first coin to be released shows two track cyclists racing. The denomination of 50 is placed below the primary design.
Sprinting: This event consists of three distances — the 400m, the 200m, and 100m. The 400m and 100m events have been part of the Games since 1896 with the 200m added in 1900. The design shows two male athletes sprinting for the line.
Rowing: Originally one of the sports that was to debut in the first games of Athens in 1896. Unfortunately, it was cancelled due to the bad weather. Rowing has since been part of the competition since the 1900 Summer Games. The design shows a men’s coxless pair.
Kayak: This exciting sport has featured in the Summer Olympics since 1936 and the design focuses on the men’s double kayak and shows them negotiating the watercourse.
Equestrian: A partnership between man and beast, the Equestrian event made its debut in the 1900 Games but then disappeared until 1912. Since then, the event has been included in all Summer Games and is a popular event with spectators. The design on the coin features an equestrian showjumper jumping a fence.
The seven-sided coins are produced by the Pobjoy Mint at their facilities in Surrey, England, on behalf of the treasury of Gibraltar.
The obverse of each coin includes an effigy of HM Queen Elizabeth II, which is an exclusive design of the Pobjoy Mint. The year of issue 2021 is shown within the legend surrounding the Queen’s likeness.
Denom. | Metal | Weight | Diameter | Quality | Maximum Mintage |
50 pence | Cupro-nickel | 8 g | 27.3 mm | Brilliant Unc. | 3,750 |
50 pence | .925 Silver | 8 g | 27.3 mm | Proof | 495 |
The coins will be available in cupro-nickel Diamond finish presented in a colourful blister-pack format and the Proof sterling silver strikes are presented in a custom case accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. For more information, please visit the website of the Pobjoy Mint.
Orders placed now will commence shipping from the 8th July 2021 with the entire five-coin set dispatched from the 28th July 2021.
❑
Leave a Reply