1996 XXVI Olympiad Tennis Commemorative Silver Dollar Coin

The 1996 XXVI Olympiad Tennis Commemorative Silver Dollar Coin was issued by the United States Mint as part of a two-year series of coins struck to mark the 1996 Olympic Games held in Atlanta, Georgia. Included in the series was a total of sixteen coins, four struck from gold, eight struck from silver and four from a clad composition.

The 1996 Olympic Games were unofficially hailed as the Centennial Games. This is because the modern Olympics were first held in Athens, Greece in 1896. Consequently, the games held in Atlanta in 1996 marked the 100th anniversary.

Tennis itself was a sport played at those original games and can trace its origins back to ancient times just like the Olympic Games themselves. Of interest, however, is the fact that tennis was a part of the Olympic Games from 1896 though 1924, when it was discontinued as an Olympic sport. The event returned in 1988 and has been a part of the Olympics ever since.

Silver Dollar Information

The United States Congress authorized the 1996 Atlanta Centennial Olympic Games Commemorative Coin Act (Public Law 102-390) which created all sixteen of the Olympic Commemorative Coins released in 1995 and 1996. However, a side effect of having so many different commemoratives released in such a short period of time is that each one experienced near record low mintages.

Each Tennis Silver Dollar Coin contains an image of a woman playing the sport. She is shown in action, about to hit a ball. It was designed by James C. Sharpe and also includes the inscriptions of ATLANTA, LIBERTY, 1996, IN GOD WE TRUST and the USA Olympic Logo.

The reverse contains the logo from the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games with a torch and flame. Also included are the inscriptions of UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ONE DOLLAR, ATLANTA, 1996, E PLURIBUS UNUM and CENTENNIAL OLYMPIC GAMES. It was designed by Thomas D. Rogers and is seen on the reverse of all four of the Olympic Silver Dollars released in 1996. A mintmark of ‘P’ or ‘D’ indicates the minting facility that struck each coin.

Proof Tennis Silver Dollar Coins were struck at the US Mint’s facility in Philadelphia. Uncirculated Tennis Silver Dollars Coins were struck at the US Mint’s facility in Denver.

The Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games, Inc. and the United States Olympic Committee split the surcharges collected by the US Mint on the sale of each coin.

1996 XXVI Tennis Silver Dollar Coin Specifications