Athens 2004 Olympic Games
Football games are common in many parts of the world even in ancient times. Some 2,500 years ago the Chinese played a form of it called Tsu chu, in which they kicked a ball of stuffed leather. Natives of Polynesia are known to have played a variation of the game with a ball made of bamboo fibres, while the Inuit had another form using a leather ball filled with moss. In most cases, the ball was a symbol for the sun and "conquering" it would ensure fertility and a good crop.
The design of this coin represents a modern football player ready to hit the ball, his ancient counterpart demonstrates his technique by bouncing a ball on his thigh, his hands tied behind his back. The representation was taken from a 4 century b.C. marble relief.
Issue date: May 31, 2004 |
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Diameter - 40mm
Thickness - N/A
Weight - 34gr
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