United States Olympic Committee Authorizes Vancouver 2010 Medals

Dec. 4, 2009 - PRLog -- (Torrance, CA) The United States Olympic Committee has granted a license to Panda America to produce and distribute two medals to commemorate America’s participation in Vancouver 2010—the XXI Olympic Winter Games—to be held from February 12-28, 2010. The USOC was appointed in 1978 as the coordinating body for all Olympic-related athletic activity in the United States, and the “Team USA/Vancouver 2010” logo appears in color on each medal and on a hologram on the packaging, as required for every USOC-authorized souvenir.

The dollar-size (39mm.) medals are being issued in prooflike brilliant uncirculated silver-plated and gold-plated versions. Each official Vancouver 2010 USOC medal and the 2-medal set comes in a custom presentation box with a special holographic emblem on the outer packaging.

The gold-plated version features the Statue of Liberty in front of the Canadian Maple leaf, symbolic of the 5,526 mile border between the U.S. and Canada, the world's longest undefended border. It's believed that the maple leaf became a Canadian symbol as early as the 1700's. Several groups used the Maple Leaf as a symbol in the 1800's, including its use on the badge of the 100th Regiment. The single red maple leaf appeared on Canada's official National Flag in 1965, and is currently on the penny, as well as the Maple Leaf bullion coins.

The silver-plated USOC-authorized medals feature the official logo of Vancouver 2010, created by local graphic designers Elena Rivera MacGregor and Gonzalo Alatorre. The “inukshuk” design was selected by a nine-member panel and beat out over 1,600 other submissions. The inukshuk, which means "likeness of person" was first formed in the permafrost from rocks by the Inuit People to mark trails, indicate caches of food, locate nearby settlements as well as good places to hunt or fish.

For further information about the official Team USA/Vancouver 2010 medals visit the distributor at www.PandaAmerica(dot)com or call 800-472-6327.

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About Panda America: International coin distributor since 1982 of coins from many countries, as well as Olympic coins and medals from the United States, China, etc.