50 Cents Olympic Games Seoul

Cyprus issued this piece as part of a broader wave of Olympic commemoratives flooding the market in 1988 — nearly every nation with a mint relationship produced one. What distinguishes the Cypriot entry is institutional: the Central Bank, not a separate commemorative authority, administered the issue directly, keeping mintages modest and distribution largely domestic.

Seoul 1988 was the first Summer Olympics held under full Cold War-era participation since Munich 1972, following the reciprocal boycotts of 1980 and 1984.