Is this an official Mint issue?

CapAnson

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=803980431

It looks like a nice coin, and I'm a big nolan ryan fan, but I don't see it anywhere, and I wouldn't want to buy it if it's not mint issue, anyone have any info on this?

MrLee

Link

LanLord

It is a real commemorative silver dollar, it was released for the 1992 olympics (baseball was first played as an olympic sport in that year). It is said to have been modled after Nolan Ryan (looks like it to me). And looks like he signed the insert in the slab. Kind of cool for a N Ryan fan. I don't think the Olympic dollar from that year is particularly valuable however.

trozau

The US Mint did mint this 1992 Olympic dollar commemorative. It has a pitcher on it but not really Nolan Ryan. This slabbed piece was signed by Ryan and that is what is making it expensive. Here is a regular slabbed version.

Mark

Cap:

LanLord and trozau are correct. The coin was issued with no fanfare about Nolan Ryan, simply to commerate the 1992 Olympics. But after it was issued, as my memory serves me, some people noticed that the design was very similar to a picture of Nolan Ryan on, I believe, a baseball card. I recall that the artist who designed the coin denied copying or even being influenced by the card, but the similarities between the card and the coin are so striking, the denial was hard to fathom. So, as LanLord and trozau state, there is no official connection between the coin and Nolan Ryan but many people believe there is a strong unofficial connection.

Mark