The Paralympic Games are elite sport events for athletes from different disability groups. They clearly emphasise,

however, the participants' athletic achievements, not their disability. The movement has grown dramatically since its

early days. The number of athletes participating in the Summer Paralympic Games has increased from 400 athletes in

Rome in 1960 to 3,843 athletes from 122 countries in Sydney in 2000. In June 2003, the 11th Summer Paralympic

Games was held in Ireland, and the 12th Summer Paralympic Games will be held in 2007, Shanghai.

The 11th Summer Paralympic Games is the first Paralympic Games held outside the U.S.A. In commemoration of this

successful Paralympic Games, the Central Bank of Ireland issued a set of commemorative coins, one is silver and the

other is copper-nickel.

The obverse of the silver coin features the Irish harp, which appears on the obverse of all the

Irish coins since the 30s of the 16th century as a symbol of the nation; the 12 peripheric stars

is the unified symbol of the Euro area. The reverse design is the emblem of the Paralympic

Games, both sides are manual polished and partially gilded.

The copper-nickel coin is identical with the silver coin in design, but no gilded part, only the emblem is colored. This set

of coins composes the 2003 mint set together with the other 8 Irish circulating Euro.