500 Mils Olympic Games Moscow - Silver proof issue

Cyprus issued this proof alongside a cupro-nickel circulation strike — an unusual dual-release strategy that reflected both the island's ambitions as a numismatic market participant and the political complexity of the 1980 Games themselves. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in December 1979 triggered a widespread boycott led by the United States, and Cyprus, navigating its own delicate post-1974 division, issued the coin without taking a public position on participation.

The .925 silver proof was struck in limited numbers specifically for collector sets.