Last week, June 4th, was one of the moments fans and collectors have been waiting for. Paris 2024 Olympics commemorative coins were put into circulation in France. This is a special two-euro series with various versions and motifs, all related to the French country and the Olympics. However, we cannot ignore that we are talking about “money” and that intriguing scenes emerged with the launch.

Coins thrown away. It is a tradition that every Olympic year, it is accompanied by all kinds of merchandise and souvenirs around the event, but with these it is an especially awaited moment for numismatics. With the Paris Olympics, coins were released showing the Eiffel Tower running on the course, monuments or emblems of other cities where the events will be held, even the Basilica of Notre-Dame de la Gerde in Marseille and the Tiaré flower.

In addition, on the Paris Accueil Monnaie website you can find other coins featuring the Games mascot Phryge, the protagonist in different symbolic places in France.

Start prices. Circulation will be 24 million units. The Paris Mint released them at prices ranging from eleven to 59 euros (the first edition was already sold out). And he did this in several ways:

• Circulation of 10,000 in BU quality (perfect uncirculated) eleven euros
• 8,000 of the above in rolls of 25 coins (200,000 in total), €59
• 20,000 prints in Reverse Proof quality (with matte background and mirror embossed with mirror effect engraved background), priced at 22 Euros

Confusion in schools. In addition to the controversy over the conditioning of Sena at the Olympics or remote work, another dispute began at the end of February. Nearly four million leaflets containing a two-euro commemorative coin for each student were sent to various schools; it was an undertaking that cost the coffers around 16 million euros. It was described as “scandalous and without educational significance” by much of the teaching staff. The government announced a 10 billion euro cut in public spending across all sectors.

From schools to resale. A few weeks after the initiative in schools, French media reported that online resale sites were proliferating advertisements offering commemorative coins issued by the Paris Mint. In some cases, prices were up to 600 euros (apart from these advertisements, there were also ones sold for 30-40 euros). In this case, the coin received a “special plus” as it had a special circulation to schools before the official launch in June.

How to retrieve discarded coins. Here we must distinguish between those in circulation and those for collecting and numismatic purposes. Firstly, considering that 20 million units were released, it should not be a big problem. According to the Numística Visual website, this will be an “easy to get” coin. You can also order from the Accueil Monnaie website in Paris.

Things are changing for metals that are more special and collectible. Here professionals often use their connections to get ahead, but you can also try making a request through the ECB or the Monnaie de Paris itself.

Brief introduction to numismatics. There is a lot of slang and abbreviations for specialized terminology in the world of coin collecting. Its purpose is to refer to the quality or rarity of the coin in question. The main designations of the two euro commemorative coins are:

• CIRC (in circulation): Essentially, coins that circulate on a daily basis. Since they are intended for trade outside of collections, their quality is at the lowest level.
• UNC (uncirculated): These are the former, but before they were circulated. They are usually taken directly on rolls.
• BU (uncirculated bright): Coins that were among the first to be struck using a completely new die. They are meant for collection without marks or scratches.
• FDC (money flower): is actually another way of calling BU.
• Proof: The best of all coins, the copy with a special finish, usually with a mirror background and a matte white design. They usually come on special occasions.

So why only two euros? The only coin used in the production of commemorative coins in the European Union is the two euro. They can be minted by every EU member state and are subject to the same regulations as traditional coins. Depending on their rarity, they are more or less popular among collectors and can therefore be resold for more or less high prices.

Coins at the Olympics. In fact, the tradition of printing commemorative coins for the Olympics dates back to ancient times. If you want, it can be a way to carry the legacy of the past to the present and maintain the spirit of the times.

That very moment takes us back to ancient Olympia, the Greek temple where the first games were held. Coins were minted at two main mints here: the ‘Zeus Mint’ and the ‘Hera Mint’. For the most part, these two separate mints struck metal at each Olympics.

Meanwhile, since foreign currency was not accepted in Olympia, visitors had to change their money for these special numbers. Idea: Spend it during the game or take it with you.

Thousands of years have passed and I can say that we have not changed much.

Picture | Monnaie de Paris, Twitter Javi Rubio

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