Description

The 1952 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad and commonly known as Helsinki 1952, were an international multi-sport event held from 19 July to 3 August 1952 in Helsinki, Finland.

After Japan declared in 1938 that it would be unable to host 1940 Olympics in Tokyo due to the ongoing Second Sino-Japanese War, Helsinki had been selected to host the 1940 Summer Olympics, which were then cancelled due to World War II. Helsinki is the northernmost city at which a summer Olympic Games have been held.

They were also the Olympic Games at which the most world records were broken until they were surpassed by the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing. The Soviet Union, the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Israel, Thailand, and Saarland made their Olympic debuts at the 1952 Games. The United States won the most gold and overall medals.

Engravers: Aarre Aaltonen and Matti Visanti

Obverse

Depicts the five-ringed emblem of the Olympic Games above the date.

The rings are five interlocking rings, coloured blue, yellow, black, green, and red on a white field, known as the "Olympic rings". The symbol was originally created in 1913 by Coubertin. He appears to have intended the rings to represent the five inhabited continents: Europe, America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. According to Coubertin, the colours of the rings together with the white of the background included the colours composing every competing country's flag at the time.

OLYMPIA
XV
1951
HELSINKI

Reverse

Frpicts the denomination inside a wreath, surrounded by the country name in Finnish and Swedish above. Privy mark 'H' (Peippo Uolevi Helle, director of the Finnish Mint in 1948–1958) in the centre.

SUOMI•FINLAND
500
H
• MARKKAA •

Edge

Interlocking pattern inscription on the smooth edge

500 Markkaa

Helsinki 1952 Summer Olympics

KM# 35 Schön# 46
Characteristics
Type Commemorative Issue (Circulating)
Material Silver
Fineness 0.500
Weight 12 g
Diameter 32 mm
Thickness 2 mm
Shape round
Alignment Medal
Mint
Mint of Finland

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