The 33rd modern Olympics, this time hosted in the French capital, Paris, are over, and the 17th Paralympics head towards their closing ceremony on the 8th September. It’s always a huge event, and Paris is a particularly photogenic city, drawing in quite a bit of numismatic attention. MDM have joined the fray with a quite humungous issue of their own, almost a discus in its own right!

On the surface, this looks like a nice proof-finish silver coin, neatly integrating the Olympic rings, with some of the iconic landmarks of Paris. Pride of place goes to the Eiffel Tower, and there’s the Arc de Triomphe, and Notre Dame, amongst others circling the centre. The obverse features a heavily stylised version of the reverse face, without the border.

The coin is finished in a mix of matte and proof finishes to create contrast, a quite effective, and aesthetically pleasing combination. So what makes this one stand out from the norm, then? The answer is size. Even struck with a kilogram of fine silver, the size of this one is quite extraordinary. Instead of the typical 100 mm diameter, this one reaches out to 180 mm across. To put that in perspective, that’s over triple the surface area, and slightly larger than a vinyl single record.

The presentation also seems to reflect the size of the event and the size of the coin, with a lush looking polished veneer box, and an enclosed Certificate of Authenticity. Only 199 will be struck, which is probably quite low given the popularity of the Olympics. An imposing coin, it’s available to order now, and should be shipping soon.