With all of the talk about major league hockey around the greater Raleigh area of late, it seemed appropriate to consider a topical collection of hockey-related coins in this month’s column.

If you’re a U.S.-only collector, your numismatic hockey collection will consist of exactly zero coins. A quick scan of the Red Book failed to turn up any U.S. Mint product commemorating hockey. But, have no fear, I’m sure some future Olympics program will include one, or maybe a 2009 silver dollar will celebrate the 25th anniversary of 1984’s "Miracle on Ice," when the U.S. Olympic hockey team won the gold medal!

Canada, our northern neighbor and a nation with a long and rich hockey history, has honored its national game with three silver commemoratives - a numismatic hat trick!.

The first coin was issued in 1986, and was part of Canada’s ten-coin commemorative program for

the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. The one ounce silver coin features a goalie making a glove save, and carries a face value of $20.00 CDN. I’ve often seen the coin advertised for sale for as little as $15.00 or $16.00 U.S.

Next up was the 1993 silver dollar which commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Stanley Cup - professional hockey’s most coveted prize! The reverse of the coin features two hockey players, one from the 1890’s and one from the 1990’s, as well as the original Stanley Cup and its modern day counterpart. The uncirculated version of the coin is generally available for about $15.00, with the proof version going for around $17.00.

In 1997, the Royal Canadian Mint (RCM) is once again commemorating an historic hockey moment with a silver dollar recognizing Team Canada’s victory over the U.S.S.R. in the 1972 Canada/Russia Hockey Series. The coin features a view of the players’ celebration moments after Paul Henderson scored the winning goal for Canada. Both proof and uncirculated versions are now available from the RCM, with the proof version selling for $22.45, and the uncirculated selling for $14.95.

Taking a look through my Standard Catalog of World Coins (1994 edition), I came across a number of other hockey commemoratives, most of them issued to celebrate either the Winter Olympics or the Ice Hockey World Championships.

Europe was the most fertile ground for hockey coinage, with issues coming from Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Finland, Hungary, Poland, Norway, Sweden, and Yugoslavia.

Bulgaria commemorated the 1988 Olympic Games with two pieces in 1987, a copper-nickel One Lev and a silver Ten Leva. The two coins were struck to proof finish, and shared common obverse and reverse designs; the obverse features the Bulgarian Coat-of-Arms, while a modern, stylized image of player on the attack graces the coin’s reverse. The One Lev lists for $6.00, and the Ten Leva lists for $40.00.

The 1985 Ice Hockey World Championships were commemorated by Czechoslovakia with a 100 Korun coin. The .500 fine silver piece featured the Czech Coat-of-Arms on its obverse, and a realistic hockey player skating down the ice on its reverse. Uncirculated pieces list for $15.00, while proofs catalog for $20.00.

Finland celebrated the 1991 Ice Hockey World Championships with uncirculated and proof strikes of a 100 Markkaa coin. A stylized goalie is featured on the simply designed reverse of the commemorative. The .830 fine silver pieces list for $40.00 in uncirculated, $200.00 in proof.

A crown-sized silver piece was issued in 1989 by Hungary to celebrate the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville. The coin carries a denomination of 500 Forint, and features an overhead view of two players battling for the puck. Uncirculated pieces list for $45.00, and proof strikes catalog for $50.00.

King Harald V is featured on the obverse of a hockey commemorative issued by Norway in 1992. The coin, a 100 Kroner piece, celebrated the 1994 Winter Olympics. The piece contains one ounce of silver, and features hockey players fighting over the puck on its reverse. The coin was issued only in proof condition, and lists for $60.00.

Poland commemorated the 1988 Winter Olympics with a 500 Zlotych coin produced at the Warsaw Mint and issued in 1987. The obverse of the silver coin features the Polish Coat-of-Arms, while the reverse features a head-on view of a goalie about to make a save. The proof-only issue catalogs for $40.00.

A crown-sized silver coin was issued by Sweden in 1989. It carries a denomination of 200 Kronor, and, like the Polish coin just described, features a goalie preparing to make a save on its reverse; the obverse displays a stylized view of three crowns. The coin lists for $60.00 in uncirculated condition.

Yugoslavia issued a series of coins to commemorate the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo. Along with hockey, pairs figure skating, speed skating, bobsledding, and figure skating were also commemorated. The hockey coin shows two players in pursuit of the puck on its reverse, while the coin’s obverse, a design common to the entire series, features the Olympic rings, the 1984 Winter Olympics logo, and the Yugoslavian Coat-of-Arms. The proof-only piece catalogs for $15.00.

Leaving Europe, I found an unlikely candidate, considering its climate, for a hockey commemorative - Cuba! But since 1977 the Havana Mint has been pumping out a prodigious number of commemorative coins for collectors, and in 1983 it produced a copper-nickel one peso in honor of the 1984 Olympic Games in Sarajevo. The coin features the Cuban Coat-of-Arms on the obverse, and a battle for the puck between two hockey players on its reverse. The catalog value for the coin is $5.00.

Well, I’m sure I missed a few, but there’s a start on a topical collection of world hockey commemoratives! As with most world coins, my bet is you can find them cheaper that the catalog prices I have listed either at a coin show or through a mail order list of a world coin dealer.

ã Copyright Raleigh Coin Club   -  1997, 1998, 1999,2000,2001,2002

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