2018-05-19 Sat

The Royal Dutch Mint released special commemorative coins to celebrate the 100th Birth anniversary of the iconic athlete Fanny Blankers-Koen. Believe it or not, the 30-year-old athlete was a mother of two children and was three months pregnant with her third child, when she bagged gold medals in the 100-meter dash, the 80-meter hurdles, the 200-meter dash, and the 4×100 meter relay at the 1948 London Olympic Games! No wonder why she was called the “The Flying Housewife”!

She still holds the record for a 7-second victory margin in the 200 meters race. The Olympic rules did not allow her to participate in other events like long jump and high jump as she was pregnant, else she would have bagged more medals.

With 58 national titles and 21 world records to her name, Blankers-Koen also got the title of the Best Female Athlete of the 20th Century by The International Association of Athletics Federations in 1999.

The coin’s design portrays the athlete’s speed and strength. The inner core consists of repetitive figures of Blankers-Koen while gradations of a stopwatch encircle the design. A rotating line silhouette of King Willem-Alexander creates a dynamic circle on the obverse as well.

The coin is available in various versions. The 6.72 grams proof .900 fine gold €10 costs $545 and has a mintage limit of 1,000 pieces. The 15.5 grams .925 fine sterling silver proof coin has a mintage limit of 5,500 pieces and can be purchased for $77.75. The 10.5 grams uncirculated €5 silver-plated copper coin can be purchased for $17.95.

Image Courtesy: The Royal Dutch Mint