Description

The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially the XX Olympic Winter Games (Italian: XX Giochi olimpici invernali) and also known as Torino 2006, were a winter multi-sport event held from 10 to 26 February 2006 in Turin, Italy. This marked the second time Italy had hosted the Winter Olympics, the first being in 1956 in Cortina d'Ampezzo; Italy had also hosted the Summer Olympics in 1960 in Rome.

The 2006 Winter Olympics featured 84 medal events over 15 disciplines in 7 sports. Events that made their Olympic debut in Turin included mass start biathlon, team sprint cross-country skiing, snowboard cross and team pursuit speed skating. The classical men's 50 km and women's 30 km distances, which were held at Salt Lake 2002, were not included in these Games, as these events were alternated with freestyle events of the same distances.

Obverse

Depicts the official emblem of the XX Winter Olympic Games of Turin. The mint mark (R) on the left, the engraver's name on the right below, and the country name above.

The Games' logo depicted a stylized profile of the Mole Antonelliana building, drawn in white and blue ice crystals, signifying the snow and the sky. The crystal web was also meant to portray the web of new technologies and the Olympic spirit of community.

The Mole Antonelliana is a major landmark building in Turin, Italy, named after its architect, Alessandro Antonelli. A mole in Italian is a building of monumental proportions. Construction began in 1863, soon after Italian unification, and was completed in 1889, after the architect's death.

Engraver: Roberto Mauri

REPUBBLICA ITALIANA
R m
torino 2006

Reverse

Depicts an ice dancer, representing the discipline of figure skating with the composition of stylized graphic elements. Below the figure, the year of the issue and the author's name, with at left the value on two lines. On top, the arch-shaped inscription “XX Olympic Winter Games”.

Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games when contested at the 1908 Olympics in London.

Four figure skating events at the 2006 Winter Olympics were held at the Palavela in Turin. Lithuanian ice dancers Margarita Drobiazko and Povilas Vanagas became the first figure skaters to compete at five Olympics.

Engraver: Claudia Momoni

XX GIOCHI OLIMPICI INVERNALI
5 EURO
2005
MOMONI

Edge
Characteristics
Type Commemorative Issue (Non-circulating)
Material Silver
Fineness 0.925
Weight 18 g
Diameter 32 mm
Thickness -
Shape round
Alignment Medal
Mint
Italian State Mint and Polygraphic Institute (IPZS)

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