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Australia Paralympic

2000 Silver Proof One Dollar

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The Paralympic Summer Games of 2000 were a resounding success for the sport and a source of inspiration for disabled people the world over. The Royal Australian Mint decided to commemorate the event with the release of this dollar coin and struck in sterling silver. The reverse was designed by Stuart Devlin and shows the artists impression of the Paralympic games. It shows the Olympic torch and multiple medals in an intricate design. It includes the legend "PARALYMPIC SUMMER GAMES SYDNEY 2000". The obverse has an Ian Rank-Broadley portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, right-facing, with tiara and earrings. It has the legend "ELIZABETH II AUSTRALIA 2000" encircling the image.

During the Paralympics in Sydney 2000, Prue Watt achieved success by winning a bronze medal in the women's 50m freestyle swimming event. Had she been just 0.03 seconds faster it would have been a silver medal. Also from the University of Sydney, was athlete Angela Ballard. She managed to secure another Paralympic medal by winning bronze in the women's 100m sprint (University of Sydney, 2012) . But this was only the tip of the iceberg. Over the course of the Paralympics, Australia won a total of 47 bronze medals, 39 silver medals and an amazing 63 gold medals culminating in overall victory on home soil.

The original Olympic Games took place about 3,500 years ago but they didn't last. It was originally held during a religious festival honouring the Greek god Zeus. The Games were abolished in 393 A.D. by the Roman Emperor, Theodosius I, as he tried to suppress paganism. They restarted in 1896 and were held in Athens, Greece. It was a great success. The International Olympic Committee had been formed two years earlier. The resurrection was an inspiration from Baron Pierre de Coubertin back in 1887. To be held every four years, as per Ancient Games, the Olympic Games became a great success. The first one to be held in Australia took place in Melbourne, 1956 (Sydney Olympic Games, 2010) . In 1993, Sydney was awarded the opportunity to host the 2000 Olympic Games. This was a chance for Australia to shine. And shine it did. The Sydney games broke so many records including ticket sales, attendances, transport, catering and most importantly, they finished fourth in the medal tables.