2008 Canada: 25 cents Freestyle Skiing (Vancouver 2010)
BU Quality (Brilliant Uncirculated) — Grade: MS-64 CHOICE +
Coin Description
This commemorative 25-cent coin was issued in 2008 by the Royal Canadian Mint as part of a series celebrating the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. It is the seventh in a series of 17 coins dedicated to winter sports. It pays tribute to freestyle skiing, a spectacular discipline combining alpine skiing and aerial maneuvers, born in the 1960s and officially becoming an Olympic sport in 1992 in Albertville. With a mintage of approximately 22,000,400 copies for circulation, high-quality specimens like this one are particularly sought after by collectors. The offered specimen, graded MS-64 Choice +, offers exceptional preservation with remarkable visual appeal.
The Obverse (Effigy of Queen Elizabeth II)
The obverse features the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Canadian artist Susanna Blunt, aged 77, without a crown, wearing a necklace and earrings. In keeping with coins from this era, the obverse is adorned with the maple leaf 🍁 at the bottom, a distinctive mark used since 2007. The legend “ CANADA · ELIZABETH II 2008 ” surrounds the royal bust, along with the Olympic logo. For an MS-64 Choice + grade, the mint luster is brilliant, intense, and perfectly uniform across the entire surface, with a superb "cartwheel" effect. Contact marks are virtually absent to the naked eye; only microscopic imperfections may be detected with a magnifying glass, and nothing distracts the eye.
The Reverse (Freestyle Skier)
The reverse, designed by Vancouver artist Glen Green (whose initials "GG" appear on the coin), illustrates all the passion and agility of freestyle skiing. It shows a skier in full action, performing a spectacular jump, skis spread, in a characteristic pose of this aerial discipline. The design is completed by the inscription “ VANCOUVER 2010 ” as well as the denomination “ 25 CENTS ”. In MS-64 Choice +, all details of the athlete, their equipment, jumping position, and inscriptions are perfectly sharp, with a full strike. The "Choice +" quality indicates a coin that surpasses the average MS-64 by its harmonious balance and superior presentation.
Technical Specifications
Condition: MS-64 CHOICE + (Brilliant Uncirculated / Mint State-64 Choice +)
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Luster: The original luster is brilliant, intense, and perfectly uniform over 100% of the surface, with a superb "cartwheel" effect.
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Surface: Contact marks are absent to the naked eye. At most, a tiny minor mark may be found under 10x magnification, but nothing significant. The fields are clear and without distraction.
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Strike: Perfectly centered and full strike with all design details (skier, jump position, inscriptions) exceptionally sharp.
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Visual Appeal: An MS-64 Choice + graded coin represents the pinnacle of what can be found for a circulation coin from this Olympic series. It offers a quality worthy of the finest collections.
