2009 Olympic XC ski and biathlon coins

CITIUS, ALTIUS, FORTIUS

Wed, Aug  13, 2008 - By Mike Muha

[Thanks for Ernie Brumbaugh for bringing this to my attention - Mike]

CITIUS, ALTIUS, FORTIUS, (Faster, Higher, Stronger)

These three words, comprising the motto of the Olympic movement, encourage the athlete in all of us to give our best during competition, and to view this effort as its own victory.

The Olympic Games have a 3,000 year history of bringing people together to give their best in competition. The Winter Games are the cold-weather complement to the original Olympic Summer Games. Held every four years, the Olympic Winter Games feature winter sports, all of which are held on ice or snow.

The only Olympic Winter Games held in Canada was in 1988, in the city of Calgary, Alberta. In 2010, Canada will proudly host the XXI Olympic Winter Games, this time in Vancouver, British Columbia. Let the Games begin!

Currently, the Royal Canadian Mint is shipping coins for four sports, including the 2010 Biathlon coins. In April 2009, the Cross Country Ski coins are expected to ship. Take a peek:

2007 Official First Day 25-Cent Biathlon Coin No. 628437 (Artist: Glen Green)	2007 $25 Sterling Silver Hologram Coin - Biathlon No. 624357 (Artist: Bonnie Ross)

2009 Official First Day 25-Cent Cross Country Skiing Coin No. 628419 (Artist: Glen Green)	2009 $25 Sterling Silver Hologram Coin - Cross Country Skiing No. 624339 (Artist: Brian Hughes)

Specifications

25-Cent Coins:

Face Value: 25 cents ($10 face value of roll)
Limited quantity: 10,000 
Composition: RCM Plating Multi-layer
Weight (g): 4.4
Diameter (mm): 23.88
Edge: Serrated  

$25 Sterling Silver Hologram Coins:

Face Value: 25 dollars
Mintage: 45,000
Composition: 92.5% Silver, 7.5% copper
Weight (g): 27.78
Diameter (mm): 40
Edge: Serrated

The Royal Canadian Mint web site is fairly good at making it hard to figure out what coins are actually offered. If you're interested in purchasing the coins, your best bet is to enter "biathlon" or "cross country ski" in the search box at the top of the screen. You might also try the Vancouver 2010 menu option.