Greece issued this coin in the year Atlanta hosted the Games — a pointed gesture, given that Athens had been the overwhelming favorite to receive the 1996 centennial Olympics and lost the bid to the American city in 1990. The decision by the IOC provoked genuine outrage in Greece, making this commemorative issue as much an assertion of historical claim as a celebration.
Greece issued this coin in the year Atlanta hosted the Games — a pointed gesture, given that Athens had been the overwhelming favorite to receive the 1996 centennial Olympics and lost the bid to the American city in 1990. The decision by the IOC provoked genuine outrage in Greece, making this commemorative issue as much an assertion of historical claim as a celebration.