1996 XXVI Olympiad Paralympics Commemorative Silver Dollar

The 1996 XXVI Olympiad Paralympics Commemorative Silver Dollar was part of a sixteen coin series released by the United States Mint to celebrate the 1996 Olympic Games held in Atlanta, Georgia. Of those sixteen coins, eight were struck from silver, four from a clad composition and four from gold.

Whereas the modern Olympic Games can be traced back to competitions held in Athens, Greece in 1896, the Paralympics really began in 1948 with a small group of British World War II veterans. From those humble beginnings, these games grew to the point that the 1996 games included 3,259 athletes participating in 20 different sports.

The term "paralympics" is evidently derived from the Greek preposition παρά, pará, meaning beside or along. It refers to the fact that the games are held in parallel with the Olympic Games. In actuality, the Paralympics are run immediately following the Olympic Games with agreements in place to operate them in the same host cities as the Olympics using many of the same facilities.

Silver Dollar Information

All sixteen of the XXVI Olympiad coins were authorized by the 1996 Atlanta Centennial Olympic Games Commemorative Coin Act (Public Law 102-390). The release of these coins resulted in a relative flurry of commemoratives from the US Mint which realized near record low mintages.

On the obverse of the Paralympics Silver Dollar, we find an athlete in a wheelchair competing in a track and field event as designed by James Sharpe. Surrounding the athlete are the inscriptions of TRIUMPH OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT, PARALYMPICS, LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST and 1996. Also included is the Paralympics Logo and the Braille symbols for the word "Spirit."

The reverse was designed by Thomas D. Rogers and is the same for all four of the 1996 released Olympic Silver Dollars. It features 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. A mintmark of ‘P’ or ‘D’ is included as well indicating if the coin was struck at the US Mint’s facility in Denver or the US Mint’s facility in Philadelphia.

The US Mint’s facility in Philadelphia struck the proof quality Paralympics Silver Dollars while the US Mint’s facility in Denver struck the uncirculated.

A surcharge collected on the sale of each Paralympics Silver Dollar was distributed equally between the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games, Inc. and the United States Olympic Committee.

1996 XXVI Paralympics Silver Dollar Coin Specifications