USSR 150 Rubles Platinum Coin 1978 Discobolus 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow
Commemorative issue: Games of the 22nd Olympiad in Moscow.
Obverse Design: The USSR’s emblem, the Red Star surrounding the globe, 15 turns of ribbon representing the 15 republics of the Union, the legend, in Cyrillic script, meaning: “U.S.S.R. 150 Roubles”.
Artist: S. M. Ivanov, modelers.
Reverse: Discobolus, the Olympic emblem and the legend, meaning: “The XXII Olympiad Moscow 1980” and the year 1978.
Artist: V. A. Ermakov.
Edge: Milled.
Mintage: (Proof) 19,853.
Mintage: (Brilliant Uncirculated) 13,403.
Issue Price - Proof: $488 US, Brilliant Uncirculated: $465 US
Diameter: 28.6 mm.
Weight: 15.55 grams.
Thickness: 1.5 mm.
Composition: .9993 platinum.
Mint Mark: Leningrad and Moscow Mint’s Mintmark.
Struck by Leningrad Mint.
Discobolus
The Discobolus of Myron ("discus thrower") is a Greek sculpture that was completed towards the end of the Severe period, circa 460-450 BC. The original Greek bronze is lost but the work is known through numerous Roman copies, both full-scale ones in marble, which was cheaper than bronze, such as the first to be recovered, the Palombara Discobolus, or smaller scaled versions in bronze.
A discus thrower is depicted about to release his throw: "by sheer intelligence", Kenneth Clark observed in The Nude, "Myron has created the enduring pattern of athletic energy. He has taken a moment of action so transitory that students of athletics still debate if it is feasible, and he has given it the completeness of a cameo." The moment thus captured in the statue is an example of rhythmos, harmony and balance. Myron is often credited with being the first sculptor to master this style. Naturally, as always in Greek athletics, the Discobolus is completely nude. His pose is said to be unnatural to a human, and today considered a rather inefficient way to throw the discus. Also there is very little emotion shown in the discus thrower's face, and "to a modern eye, it may seem that Myron's desire for perfection has made him suppress too rigorously the sense of strain in the individual muscles," Clark observes. The other trademark of Myron embodied in this sculpture is how well the body is proportioned, the symmetria.
The potential energy expressed in this sculpture's tightly-wound pose, expressing the moment of stasis just before the release, is an example of the advancement of Classical sculpture from Archaic. The torso shows no muscular strain, however, even though the limbs are outflung.
Moscow-1980 Olympic Coins
The Moscow Olympics were the first Olympic games to be held in a socialist country. An Act of the Soviet government authorized the Ministry of Finance and the State Bank of the USSR to issue a 28-coin collection of five and ten roubles in proof and uncirculated qualities. There was also six proof and six uncirculated gold 100 roubles, five proof and five uncirculated platinum 150 roubles, and six proof and six uncirculated 1 rouble coins.
1 Rouble 1979 University of Moscow 1 Rouble 1980 Monument of Yuri Dolgorukiy 1 Rouble 1979 Monument to the Conquerors of Space
Geographic Series
Silver 5 Rubles 1977 Tallinn Silver 5 Rubles 1977 Minsk Silver 5 Rubles 1977 Kiev Silver 5 Rubles 1977 Leningrad Silver 10 Rubles 1977 Moscow Kremlin
The Olympic motto is the hendiatris Citius, Altius, Fortius, which is Latin for "Faster, Higher, Stronger." The motto was proposed by Pierre de Coubertin on the creation of the International Olympic Committee in 1894.
Series – "Citius" Faster
Series – "Altius" Higher
Series – "Fortius" Stronger
Series – Sports and grace
Series – Folk sports
Olympic Gold Coins
Gold 100 Rubles 1977 Sport and Peace symbol Gold 100 Rubles 1980 Olympic Flame Gold 100 Rubles 1978 Central Lenin Stadium Gold 100 Rubles 1978 Krylatskoye Rowing Canal Gold 100 Rubles 1979 Druzhba Multipurpose Arena
Olympic Platinum Coins
Platinum 150 Rubles 1979 Chariot racing Platinum 150 Rubles 1978 Discobolus Platinum 150 Rubles 1979 Ancient Greek wrestlers