Today, on Olympic Day and exactly one month before the start of the Olympic Games in Tokyo, world judo champion Noël van 't End, together with responsible State Secretary for Finance Hans Vijlbrief, minted the first commemorative coin in honour of top judoka Anton Geesink. The ceremonial First Strike took place in Sports Centre Papendal. You can also order the First Day Issue of the Anton Geesink 5 Euro Coin at www.royaldutchmint.com today until 11:59 p.m. (CEST).
The Anton Geesink 5 Euro Coin is minted on behalf of the Ministry of Finance and is part of the commemorative series 'Sport Icons'.Ceremonial First Strike
Noël van 't End and State Secretary Hans Vijlbrief ceremonially struck the first copy of the Anton Geesink 5 Euro Coin with the historic coin press in Sports Centre Papendal, the largest training centre in the Netherlands. In 2019, Van 't End won the World Judo Championship in the famous Budokan hall in Tokyo, the same place where Anton Geesink won the gold medal during the Olympic Games in 1964. Van 't End will soon leave for Tokyo again, this time for the Olympic Games 2021. To emphasize the bond between the two judokas, a Noël van 't End issue has also been designed. This medal is exclusively available in the silver set “Tokyo then and now”, which also contains the Anton Geesink 5 Euro Coin. The issues are wrapped in a special case in which wood from Anton Geesink's gym is incorporated.
First Day Issue
You can order the First Day Issue of the Anton Geesink 5 Euro Coin now! This issue is only available for one day: you can place your order until 23 June 2021 11:59 p.m. The numbered issue in coincard is packed in a First Day Envelope, with a date stamp and the signature of the mint master. The definitive mintage of the First Day Issue will be announced on 24 June 2021.