Snowboarding made its Olympic debut in Nagano, and the first Japanese commemorative coin for those Games is devoted to it. The 500 yen with a snowboarder was released on 7 February 1997 — exactly one year before the opening of the XVIII Olympic Winter Games.

The obverse shows a snowboarder and the Olympic rings; the reverse carries the Games emblem, the rings and the rock ptarmigan «雷鳥», the symbol bird of Nagano Prefecture. The date is given by era: «Heisei 9».

The coin opened the first of three Olympic issues, each of which also included gold 10,000 and silver 5,000 yen coins. The 500 yen was minted in 20 million pieces. At the Games in February 1998 snowboarders contested four events — men’s and women’s giant slalom and halfpipe — with 125 athletes from 22 nations.

For a Winter Olympics collection this is a debut coin twice over: the first of the Nagano series and a memorial to the first Olympic start of an entire sport. With the bobsleigh and freestyle coins it completes the full trio of Japanese Olympic 500 yen of 1997–1998.

Uncirculated grade: the coin never circulated, shows no wear and retains its mint lustre.

Other coins from the VPcoins catalogue will help you continue a series or start a new collection.