This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/24/2018
To protest the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the United States made the decision to boycott the 1980 Summer Olympics held in Moscow. For the first time since the Soviet Union began competing in the Games in 1952, the two superpowers would not meet peacefully on the field of sport. This political squabble did not stop the Soviet Union from celebrating the honor of hosting the Games, and this trio of coins is a tribute of their Olympic celebration. These coins come from the collection of Jesse Owens, who in the 1936 Berlin Games demonstrated that politics could take a backseat to the spirit of athletic competition, a lesson that was sadly ignored by his own country in 1980 and the Soviet Union in 1984.
The smaller two coins are .900 gold coins of 100 rubles ($1.75) each in Russian currency, weighing 18g apiece and measuring 30mm. One dated 1977 features the 1980 Moscow Games logo and the 1979 dated coin depicts the Olympic Stadium built for the Summer Games. The third coin is a 1979 dated silver 10 rubles coin (38mm, 38g) featuring basketball players on the obverse and the seal of the Soviet Union on the reverse. The coins are in very good condition with minimal surface wear. These coins are highly collectible in the numismatics industry, sought after for their scarcity than currency value.
Includes LOA signed by each of Jesse Owens' three daughters.