Swiss 5 Francs 1964 Winter Olympics

The 1964 Swiss Olympic coin features a skier in full flight on its reverse, a design choice that marked one of the earliest departures from Switzerland's traditional heraldic motifs.

Struck at the Bern mint in silver, the coin was part of a series issued to commemorate the Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, even though Switzerland wasn't the host. That says something about their enthusiasm for the games. The obverse shows the standard Swiss coat of arms, keeping things familiar amid the novelty.

Details on exact mintage figures are murky; official records from that era can be inconsistent. We know it circulated widely at the time, though.

Not every collector realizes this, but holding one is like grasping a piece of mid-century optimism—cool and unpretentious.