Everyone has a favourite sport and regardless of what yours is, there’s a good chance that sport is in the Olympics. If it is, you can bet a national mint has produced a commemorative coin, banknote or medal featuring that sport. With Paris 2024 finally here, why not take a moment to browse all the Olympic Coins, Banknotes and Medals we currently have in stock and see if you can find something with your favourite sport.
Why start an Olympic collection?
The inception of the Olympic Games dates back over 2,700 years to Ancient Greece, specifically in Olympia located in the southwestern region of the country. In their earliest form, the ancient games featured just seven events: running, long jump, shot put, javelin, boxing, pankration and equestrian events. If the number of sports had remained the same until today, we probably wouldn’t have a lot of items to show on this page.
Lucky for coin enthusiasts, the variety of sports has expanded significantly over the years, with the Paris 2024 Olympics raising the total count to 32 sports. This expansion offers an even greater array of choices for those looking to build their future Olympic collections. Additionally, coins and medals crafted for the Olympics have been manufactured since 1896, providing you with a vast selection of items to choose from.
As part of the Royal Mint coinage programme for the London 2012 Olympics, two special £2 coins were minted to mark the handover from Beijing to London in 2008 and the handover from London to Rio in 2012.
The Winter Olympics being held in Beijing China are now over. To mark this important event, China has issued two commemorative 20 yuan notes, one printed on polymer and one printed on paper, depicted here. The paper Winter Olympics 20 yuan features a freestyle skier on the front and a view on the back of the National Ski Jumping Centre in Zhangjakou, also known as the Snow Ruyi. The Great Wall of China is also featured below.(P-New) Uncirculated.
The Winter Olympics being held in Beijing China are now over. To mark this important event, China has issued two commemorative 20 yuan notes, one printed on polymer, depicted here, and one printed on paper. The polymer 20 yuan has a pair of figure skaters on the front with a view of the structure known as the Ice Cube on the back. This building has been repurposed from its role in the 2008 Summer Olympics where it housed aquatic events and was known then as the Water Cube! (P-New) Uncirculated.
This is one Olympic coin or crown you almost never see. It was issued by the Republic of the Congo in 1999, for the Sydney, Australia Olympics held in 2000. You have a shot putter getting ready for the throw with a Greek God to his side. The other side has a native figure holding up a tablet like the 10 Commandments reading ‘Unite Travail Progress’. It is full crownsized and has the denomination of 100 Francs and is struck in Uncirculated cupronickel. There were quite a few Olympic coins issued over the years, but this is one that you almost never see. Get it while you can, after all the Olympics are quickly coming up…
This cupronickel One Peso was issued by Cuba in 1983 for the Winter Olympics held in Sarajevo. It should be noted that the mintage is a very small 3,000 pieces, which in today’s collecting terms can almost be called rare. The coins have two ice hockey players facing off and the obverse has the arms of Cuba. We think this whole series is much under-appreciated and one day that might well change.
This Sterling Silver Proof £2 coin was issued in 2008/2010 for the handover of the Olympics from Beijing to London. It has the Olympic flag being transferred from one hand to the other and the two different dates. It was issued by the Royal Mint and it is one issue that many collectors are missing as the edition limit was quite low and many people who collect Olympic memorabilia snapped them up and they went abroad. Each Sterling Silver Proof comes in a protective capsule as issued.
The world's first circulating seven-dollar banknote was issued to commemorate the victory of the Fiji men's rugby sevens team at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games. On one side, the note displays an image of team captain and Olympic flag bearer Osea Kolinisau in action with a ball, complemented by a smaller depiction of head coach Ben Ryan seated at the Sigatoka Sand Dunes in Fiji. The other side of the note showcases a photograph of the entire team, proudly wearing their gold medals around their necks. Under ultraviolet light, the medals glow with a golden hue. Additionally, the watermark features Savenaca Rawaca depicted while running with a ball.
In 2016, the Fiji Men’s Rugby Sevens Team won the Gold Medal at the Rio Olympics. Such was the country’s delight, the government authorised a special issue of banknote with the unusual 7-dollar denomination, to honour the team’s success. (P120) In the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, the men’s team returned and won the Gold Medal again with the Fiji Women’s team winning bronze in their category. A special 7-dollar banknote was issued to mark this double victory with one side printed in gold and the other in bronze. (P1NEW). If you haven’t got this pair in your collection- now is the time! We can offer both issues in Crisp Uncirculated. Save when you buy the pair.
In 1972 Germany issued a series of 10 Deutschmark coins to mark the Olympic Games being held that year in Munich. Minted in silver, they feature designs of the Olympic rings, athletes, the stadium and the Olympic flame. Numbers may be limited for some of these coins, so be sure to order early.
Our website is updated regularly and our stock is very limited on some items, so visiting more often gives you a better chance of finding the Olympic Coins you're looking for.
