“In design the two silver sports coins are a matched set and vividly depict the range of sports in Norway”, says Leif Veggum of Norges Bank’s Cashier’s Department. He also points out that the figures in the friezes blend into one another, illustrating community and cohesion.

Norges Bank invited six artists to participate in a competition for the design of the coins’ reverse. The winning designs are by Ina Viktoria Kristiansen of Uniform Strategisk Design. The portrait of H.M. King Harald V on the obverse of both coins was created by Ingrid Austlid Rise, designer at Det Norske Myntverket (Mint of Norway).

Norges Bank will issue the coins in conjunction with NIF’s 150th anniversary and the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2011. The coins will be issued immediately before Idrettsgalla, an awards show for Norwegian athletes, which will take place in Hamar on Saturday, 8 January 2011.

The silver coins have a nominal value of NOK 200 kroner, and each coin will be limited to an issue of 40 000 coins. The coins will be sold individually and in sets. The sale price excluding shipping and handling fees is NOK 475 per coin and NOK 950 for the set of both coins. The coins may already be ordered directly from Norges Bank from our online shop. We will begin shipping coins on 10 January 2011. Delivery times may vary.

Illustrations and descriptions of the silver commemorative coins have been posted on the Bank website:

• Skiing in Norway. 200-krone silver commemorative coin
• Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports. 200-krone silver commemorative coin