1984 Olympic $1 impulse buy

Several years ago I was browsing through a local B&M and noticed this coin. Modern silver commemoratives are not per se a series I collect. Yet when I saw this I had to buy it. The images are by Bob Campbell, and I think he did an excellent job. I'm including two images of the obverse as it can look quite different depending on how you tilt it.

 

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I have one of these for my 'crown size' type collection. It's a beautiful design and I especially like the eagle.

 

Well, Sy, I think it is mighty pretty.

I don't know if you saw a recent thread where one "expert" claimed that toning cannot change due to the angle of the lighting. So much for some "experts". Right?

 

hmmmm...

my previous post has disappeared.

So, once again:

The 2nd obv photo is great!

 

I think the design is creepy. Headless statues?

 

And they cut then off at the knees too. (or imbedded them in cement in preparation for "letting them swim with the fishes.)

 

Ah a Commem for the Mafia Olympics!

 

I definitely can see why you pulled the trigger. I love the eagle design on that one.

 

Beautiful coin. The toning is fabulously subtle. It almost looks like watercolors. Is that album or packaging toning? Love it!

 

I've never been a fan of toned coins but the color on yours is really nice.

 

Anyone though to research the design and the why/where from that it's the way it is...? Maybe something to do with ancient Greece...maybe the ruins of a statue from that era/those games, etc.

 

Nice coin, I like the toning effect. Thanks for sharing.

 

Check the wiki page for the LA Coliesum. Those statues are part of the entrance.

 

I have the full 1984 Prestige Olympic Commemorative set, in which all the coins are deep or ultra cameo, but I've never seen one like yours which I assume is the circulating mint state $1 Olympic coin.

 

Oftentimes the statues from classical Greece or Rome were found with the head off, normally because the statue fell over, courtesy of earthquakes or "barbarians" knocking them over. Oftentimes some of the arms and legs would also be broken off. So, after a while, in the Western world, statues were often just created of the torso or without a head.

The models were Jennifer Innis a long jumper from Guyana and a water polo player from USA Terry Schroeder.

@William Bailey My piece is a proof piece. You can't tell the deep cameo on the obverse in these images, but you can see it very well on the eagle on the reverse, and the image of the reverse shows just how reflective the fields were.

@Morgandude11 I bought the piece a little over 5 years ago, and it was in your basic plastic flip. I have no idea specifically how it was toned, but I do know that these 1984 silver dollars of both designs do occasionally get some very good toning, so my best guess is the toning was imparted by the packaging.

Here is a picture of the entrance to the 1984 Olympic stadium in L.A.

 

These photos should be able to show the mirrored proof surfaces.

 

Nice pics Bob, Thank You!!!

 

Just to add to your topic about the destruction of Roman statues. According to a native Italian guide (during our tour of the Colosseum) the Christians were the ones to do much of the destruction of the statues simply because of their hatred and memories of the Roman crucifixions. This, of course is after Rome fell. Lacking heavy equipment and gunpowder, they did the most damage as they could, mainly just getting rid of the heads. Apparently that was the ultimate embarrassment to any of the surviving Romans.

 

This makes me want to dig around and find mine. I don't remember it looking that good!!

 

Nah. Inspired by down town LA.........