There doesn’t seem to be a flood of Summer Olympic coins this time around, but what has been released has seemed popular enough. Case in point is the new trilogy of coins from the Royal Australian Mint. Released less than two weeks ago, they’ve already sold out, helped no doubt by the Aussie love of sporting events, something they’ve often punched above their weight at.

Two of the coins are a kilo in weight and carry the same design, an intricate depiction of the 32 disciplines that Australian athletes will be competing to win in Rio. It’s an immensely appealing design and we can see why the mint chose not to strike something so detailed on the smaller coin. Our favourite Olympic design to date. Only 5 of the gold kilo coins were struck, and a tiny 50 of the silver. The latter could be a sleeper hit in fact, priced at half what the Royal Mint charges for a silver kilo coin, and with a fraction of the mintage to boot. Packaging looks superb.

The one ounce coin is far commoner, but still limited to 2,016 units, and also sold out. Another fine design, although certainly more symbolic of the event than the kilo design as it depicts no athletes or events, the gilding is well chosen.

As these are sold out from the mint you’ll have to head to aftermarket dealers like Downies, who still have the gilded for sale, but one per customer.

The 2016 Summer Olympics officially known as the Games of the XXXI Olympiad, and commonly known as Rio 2016, is a major international multi-sport event in the tradition of the Olympic Games due to take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. Record numbers of countries are participating in a record number of sports. More than 10,500 athletes from 206 National Olympic Committees (NOCs), including first time entrants Kosovo and South Sudan, will take part. With 306 sets of medals, the games will feature 28 Olympic sports — including rugby sevens and golf, which were added by the International Olympic Committee in 2009. These sporting events will take place at 33 venues in the host city and at 5 venues in the cities of São Paulo (Brazil’s largest city), Belo Horizonte, Salvador, Brasília (Brazil’s capital), and Manaus.

These will be the first Summer Olympic Games under the IOC presidency of Thomas Bach. The host city of Rio de Janeiro was announced at the 121st IOC Session held in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 2 October 2009. Rio will become the first South American city to host the Summer Olympics. These will be the first games to be held in a Portuguese-speaking country, the first to be held entirely during the host country’s winter season (the 2000 games began on September 15 – 5 days before the Southern Hemisphere’s vernal equinox), the first since 1968 to be held in Latin America, and the first since 2000 (third overall) to be held in the Southern Hemisphere.

No sporting event is as big as the Olympic Games. In August 2016, the nation will be cheering on the inspirational Australians who are living out their sporting dreams in front of a worldwide audience.

The Royal Australian Mint takes pride in marking significant Australian sporting milestones and are honoured to be an official team partner for the 2016 Australian Olympic Team.

KILO REVERSE: The coin design is both delicate and intricate, and displayed to great effect on the large coin surfaces. The Australian Olympic Team logo takes centre stage on each coin. Further fluidity of movement is provided by pictures of athletes in motion from the official Olympic sporting pictograms of the 32 disciplines that Australian athletes will contest at Rio.

GILDED REVERSE: At the heart of the coin is the Australian Olympic Team logo in gold. Seven rings interlock around the logo and symbolise unity among the Australian Olympic Team members in their journey for Olympic greatness. Against both the mirror and frosted finish of the coin background is a magnificent golden wreath of Australia’s national floral emblem together with the floral emblems of all States and Territories that convey the whole nation’s support for our Olympian athletes.