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Athens 2004 - Olympic games coins
Starting from March 2003, the Bank of Greece issued a series of six different coin series commemorating the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. The total collection includes 18 coins (6 Gold and 12 Silver) which have been released in 6 quarterly issues, each consisting of 1 Gold and 2 Silver coins. The themes were selected by the Minister for the National Economy and the Governor of the Bank of Greece, from a set of proposals presented by a national technical and artistic committee. A special series comprising 2 gold and 4 silver coins was also minted to commemoratwe the Olympic Torch Relay.
Introduction and Series: A - B - C - D - E - F and Olympic Torch Relay
Designs
The coins have been designed by the painter and engraver Panayiotis Gravalos, while the reliefs were created by the sculptor Kostas Kazakos, who, having worked for five years for the Greek Mint, has put his signature on several of the most beautiful Greek coins. One of these, the 50 drachma coin, was awarded first prize in a competition in Washington D.C., USA, in 1988 and is considered by many to be the most beautiful coin in the world. The Official Coins of the ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games are of unique value to coin collectors, since they will be limited in number of designs and mintage per coin, compared to previous Olympic coin collections.
The designs of the Gold coins have a civilization theme and portray prominent landmarks from the history of Greece. The Silver coins feature sporting themes and each design motif has been rendered using a modern depiction in the foreground contrasted with a classical depiction of the sport in the background. Thus the designs communicate the passage - through - time with the foreground modern depiction rendered in a crisp precise manner, while the classical backgrounds are rendered in such a way that they appear to be worn, much as a coin appears with the passage of time. The Olympic Flame series portrays themes from the Olympic Torch Relay
Common side - Specifications
 
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Diameter (mm): 25 / 40 Weight (g): 10 / 34 Shape: Round Edge: Smooth Mintage: 28,000 / 68,000 (each design) Mintage: 160,000 / 820,000 (total) Face value: 10 / 100 euros Fineness: Proof 999.9 (24K) / 925 (sterling) Price: 440 / 44 euros Description: Features two concentric rings: The outer ring portrays 12 stars, a design motif characteristic of Euro coins, and the inner ring portrays the face value of 100 euros face value for the gold coins and 10 euros for the silver ones, an olive branch, the ATHENS 2004 logo, the five Olympic circles, and the anthemion flower - the symbol of quality of the Greek Mint Certificates of Authenticity: Gold coins - Obverse & Reverse Silver coins - Obverse & Reverse |
Footnote Specifications for gold and silver coins respectively
Forth series
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Issue date: 3.11.2003 Description: The forth series of the Official Coins of the ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games was issued on November 3, 2003. The coins can be purchased individually, in sets of two silver coins and a complete set including all three coins, the gold and the two silver ones. The collection will be completed with 2 more series. |
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KM#: 201 Description: Zappeion is an Athenian mansion built at the expense of the Greek public benefactor Evangelos Zappas (1800 - 1865) to serve as the venue for Greek artistic, agricultural and industrial fairs. Harilaos Trikoupis later (1887) decided to move elsewhere the Protestant cemetery that was situated there and to create a garden around the building. The Zappeion, designed by the architect Theophilos Hansen, was built between 1874 and 1888. It was originally given the name 'Olympia' and acquired its present name after the death of the two brothers Evangelos and Konstantinos Zappas, whose busts – created by the well-known Greek sculptors I. Kossos and G. Vroutos respectively – stand at the entrance of the building. Zappeion, which is the subject of the fourth gold coin, is related to the first Olympic Games in Athens in 1896, since at that time, the lack of a necessary infrastructure and the accommondation facilities for the participants, required the use of the mansion as an "Olympic village" for the Games and also to host certain games, such as fencing. |
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KM#: 199 Description: Rhythmic Gymnastics is one of the oldest sports in the world. In ancient Greece, three distinct programmes of gymnastic exercise were developed: one for the maintenance of good physical condition, another for military training, and a third as part of the conditioning regimen for athletes. Modern rhythmic gymnastics were developed in the late 1950s. In this sport for females only, disciplines are characterized by the use of accessories such as a ball, clubs, hoop and rope, and ribbons, to the accompaniment of music. The composition on the coin represents a young woman holding a multicoloured ribbon, executing a graceful figure, while in the background, two female athletes from antiquity execute a series of acrobatic figures, the scene was taken from a terracotta in Lower Italy. |
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KM#: 200 Description: Swimming was highly esteemed in ancient Greece and Rome, as shown on vases and wall paintings dating back to 1,600 B.C., especially as a form of training for warriors. In modern times competitive swimming was instituted in Great Britain at the end of the 18th century and the first modern Olympic Games, held in Athens, Greece, in 1896, included swimming races. On the coin a woman swimmer is depicted, preparing to dive from the diving-board, while in the background another woman athlete is just about to dive into the water, a scene from an Archaic bronze statuette. |
Buy the forth collective series
Efsimon Collections SA was the official licensee of the Olympic Committee for the distribution of the Official Coins of the ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games. Efsimon Collections SA supported the effort towards organising the best Olympic Games by creating high quality products with high collective value.
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| Complete set (1 Gold and 2 Silver coins) | |
| Silver set (2 Silver coins) | |
