10 Yuan Platform Diving

Issued as part of China's ongoing Olympic sports commemorative program, this piece was struck ahead of the 1990 Asian Games in Beijing — the first time China had hosted the event — during a period when the government was aggressively using precious-metal commemoratives to generate hard currency and foreign collector interest. Platform diving had become a point of particular national pride following Chinese dominance at the 1984 and 1988 Olympics. The .925 silver standard used here was consistent with the series, though several issues within the broader program are known to have suffered from inconsistent surface finishes on proof strikes.