Finland issued this coin to mark its participation in the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics, where the Finnish ice hockey team claimed gold — defeating Russia in the semifinals and Sweden in the final. It was the first Olympic gold in ice hockey for Finland, and the timing of the issue gave the coin an unplanned commemorative resonance that no mint planner could have anticipated when the dies were cut.
Finland issued this coin to mark its participation in the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics, where the Finnish ice hockey team claimed gold — defeating Russia in the semifinals and Sweden in the final. It was the first Olympic gold in ice hockey for Finland, and the timing of the issue gave the coin an unplanned commemorative resonance that no mint planner could have anticipated when the dies were cut.