71/2 Euro Sport Heroes - Rosa Mota, Proof issue

Rosa Mota won three Boston Marathons, three European Marathon titles, and the 1988 Olympic gold in Seoul — a record of marathon dominance unmatched by any Portuguese athlete before or since. Portugal's collector coin program has periodically honored national sports figures, and Mota, who retired in 1992 after a back injury ended her career prematurely, was an overdue inclusion. The fractional 7½ euro denomination was introduced by the Casa da Moeda specifically for this sports-themed proof series, allowing a lower entry price point than the standard collector issues.