Chinagoldcoin.net

Nagano Olympic Commemorative Coins

In Nagano on 7th February 1998, at exactly 11.01 a.m., the sound of the bell at the Zenkoji temple fills the air, marking the opening of a sacred period: that of the Olympic Winter Games in Nagano. According to ancestral beliefs, this bell, the symbol of Nagano, has the power to liberate people of their material desires and cleanse their souls. This sound also conveys the wish that the spirits of all the participants may be purified, and that the Games in Nagano give concrete expression to the Olympic ideal of noble conduct and love. The Zenkoji temple is a place where everyone has always been welcome. For centuries, it has welcomed people from all religions and faiths. What is more, Zenkoji was open to women and children even during the feudal period, when only men had the right to pray in temples.

In 1998 the Winter Games returned to Japan after 26 years. Snowboarding and curling debuted as official sports and women's ice hockey was introduced to the Olympic program. For the first time, the men's ice hockey tournament was opened to all professionals. The inspired team from the Czech Republic scored a surprise victory. Bjorn Dahlie won three gold medals in Nordic skiing to become the first winter athlete to earn eight career gold medals and twelve total medals. Tara Lipinski won the women's figure skating title to become, at age fifteen, the youngest champion in an individual event in the history of the Winter Olympics. The spirit of the Games was exemplified by Alpine skier Hermann Maier. Maier survived a spectacular fall in the downhill, recovered and earned gold medals in both the super-g and the giant slalom.

To mark the great Nagano Olympic Games, Japan issued three series of Nagano Olympic commemorative coins.

Nagano Olympic ( Series One ) ---gold		Metal: Pure Gold Weight: 15.6g Diameter: 26mm Issuing Year: 1997
Nagano Olympic ( Series One )---silver		Metal: Silver 925 Copper 75 Weight: 15g Diameter: 30mm Issuing Year: 1997
Nagano Olympic ( Series One )---copper-nickel		Metal: Copper 750 Nickel 250 Weight: 7.2g Diameter: 26.5mm Issuing Year: 1997
Nagano Olympic ( Series Two )---gold		Metal: Pure Gold Weight: 15.6g Diameter: 26mm Issuing Year: 19971997
Nagano Olympic ( Series Two )---silver		Metal: Silver 925 Copper 75 Weight: 15g Diameter: 30mm Issuing Year: 1997
Nagano Olympic ( Series Two )---copper-nickel		Metal: Copper 750 Nickel 250 Weight: 7.2g Diameter: 26.5mm Issuing Year: 1997
Nagano Olympic ( Series Three )---gold		Metal: Pure Gold Weight: 15.6g Diameter: 26mm Issuing Year: 1998
Nagano Olympic ( Series Three )---silver		Metal: Silver 925 Copper 75 Weight: 15g Diameter: 30mm Issuing Year: 1998
Nagano Olympic ( Series Three )---copper-nickel		Metal: Copper 750 Nickel 250 Weight: 7.2g Diameter: 26.5mm Issuing Year: 1998