Description

The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially titled the Games of the XXI Olympiad and commonly known as Montreal 1976, took place from July 17 to August 1, 1976, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Montreal secured the hosting rights for the 1976 Games at the 69th IOC Session in Amsterdam on May 12, 1970, prevailing over bids from Moscow and Los Angeles. This event marked the first and only time to date that the Summer Olympic Games were held in Canada. Concurrently, Toronto hosted the 1976 Summer Paralympics, making it the sole instance of the Summer Paralympics being hosted in Canada. Subsequently, Calgary and Vancouver hosted the Winter Olympic Games in 1988 and 2010, respectively.

A total of twenty-nine countries, predominantly from Africa, boycotted the Montreal Games following the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) decision not to bar New Zealand. The controversy arose after the New Zealand national rugby union team toured South Africa earlier in 1976, contravening the United Nations' call for a sports embargo due to South Africa's apartheid policies. The Soviet Union emerged as the top medal winner in both gold and overall medal counts.

The Yemen Arab Republic (YAR), also known simply as North Yemen or Yemen (Sanaʽa), was a country from 1962 to 1990 in the northwestern part of what is now Yemen. Its capital was at Sanaʽa. It united with the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (commonly known as South Yemen) on May 22, 1990 to form the current Republic of Yemen.

Obverse

Depicts the coat of arms of the Yemen Arab Republic (1974–1990) surrounded by denomination in Arabic above, English below, date in Hijri and Gregorian calendar years in both sides encircled by country name in Arabic and English. Metal purity below.

The national emblem of Yemen depicts the Hawk of Quraish with a scroll between its claws. On the scroll is written the name of the country (Yemen Arab Republic) in Arabic. The chest of the eagle contains a shield that depicts a coffee plant and the Marib Dam, with seven blue wavy stripes below. The flagstaffs on the right and left of the eagle hold the flag of Yemen.

The Hawk of Quraish is a symbol which is found on a number of emblems, coat of arms and flags of several states of the Arab world. The Arabs of the Arabian Peninsula, today especially those from the Persian Gulf coast, are traditionally falconry experts; falcons (and hawks) are seen as status symbols and one of the Arabs' favourite animals. Also the traditions and recorded history about the Quraysh and Muhammad claim a falcon had been used as clan symbol. Therefore, several variants of the Quraishi hawk were and are seen in the flags, coat of arms, seals and emblems of several Arab states until today. In that meaning, the Hawk of Quraish is a rival to the so-called Eagle of Saladin.

الجمهورية العربية اليمنية
الجمهورية العربية اليمنية
٧٥
ريالاً
1975 ١٣٩٥
75
RIALS [925] [ni]
YEMEN ARAB REPUBLIC

Reverse

Depicts the Olympic cauldron within a radiant circle in the middle with various Olympic sports figures encircled by inscriptions in Arabic and English.

XXI OLYMPIAD MONTREAL 1976 الألعاب الأولمبية بمونتريال ١٩٧٦

Edge
Characteristics
Type Commemorative Issue (Non-circulating)
Material Gold
Fineness 0.917
Weight 13.65 g
Diameter 28 mm
Thickness -
Shape round
Alignment Medal
Alt # KM# MS2, KM# PS6

Related coins

Montreal 1976 Summer Olympics

Silver, 36 g, ⌀ 45 mm

Montreal 1976 Summer Olympics

Silver, 35.9 g, ⌀ 45.9 mm