Pobjoy Mint struck this issue for the Isle of Man — one of the most prolific producers of commemorative gold in the late 1970s and early 1980s, a period when the mint aggressively pursued licensing agreements for international sporting events. The 1980 Lake Placid Winter Games were held in February of that year under the shadow of the U.S.-led boycott of the Moscow Summer Olympics, which would come just months later.
At 39.8 grams in 22-karat gold, production runs for these Pobjoy commemoratives were deliberately small, targeted squarely at collector markets rather than circulation.
Pobjoy Mint struck this issue for the Isle of Man — one of the most prolific producers of commemorative gold in the late 1970s and early 1980s, a period when the mint aggressively pursued licensing agreements for international sporting events. The 1980 Lake Placid Winter Games were held in February of that year under the shadow of the U.S.-led boycott of the Moscow Summer Olympics, which would come just months later.
At 39.8 grams in 22-karat gold, production runs for these Pobjoy commemoratives were deliberately small, targeted squarely at collector markets rather than circulation.