158) Coinage of Greece: (Part V): Modern Coins: i) Greek Euro Coins: ii) Greek Commemorative Euro Coins:

158) Coinage of Greece: (Part V): Modern Coins:

i) Greek Euro Coins: ii) Greek Commemorative Euro Coins:

Euro coins for Greece:

The following 19 member states, including the three Baltic states have adopted the Euro as their currency:

Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy (Italy includes the Vatican City and San Marino), Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, The Netherlands.

Greece was admitted to the euro zone on 01.01.2001.

The European Council has in November 2014 adopted a resolution allowing Lithuania to adopt the Euro from 01.01.2015 onwards. The conversion rate has been set at 3.45280 Lithuanian Litas to 1 Euro. At the same time, the Commission has rejected the membership applications of seven countries – Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Sweden, on the grounds that none of these countries presently fulfil all the criteria for adopting the Euro.

The common sides of all eight Euro coins have different designs as under, which is the same for coins issued by/for all member countries:

The 10, 20 and 50 Euro cents and 1 and 2 Euro coins show either the European Union before its enlargement on 01.05.2004 or wef 01.01.2007, a geographical image of Europe. Coins from Italy (including San Marino and the Vatican City), Austria & Portugal show the 2007 design only if these coins were dated “2008” or later.

The 1, 2 and 5 Euro cent coins, on the other hand, show Europe in relation to Africa and Asia on the globe.

Greek Euro coinage:

On the National face/side, all designs of Greek Euro coins depict the 12 stars of the European Union (representing the 12 original member states of the European Union), the year of minting and the symbol of the Bank of Greece. The value of the coins is shown on the National side in the Greek alphabet as well as on the common side in the Roman alphabet.  The Euro cent is called the lepto in Greek.

In 2001, the first few coins for Greece were minted in Finland (1 and 2 Euros with the “S” mint mark for “Soumi” or Finland), France (1, 2, 5, 10 and 50 cents with the mint mark “F” for France) and Spain (20 cents with the mint mark “E” for Espana or Spain), however, from 2002 onwards, the Greek Euro coins were minted in Athens, which exhibited no mint mark.

All the eight denominations of Euro coins for Greece were designed by Georgios Stamatopoulos. All designs feature the 12 stars of the EU, the year of imprint and a tiny symbol of the Bank of Greece (the anthemion flower – shaped like a Virginia palmette). Uniquely, the value of the coins is mentioned on the National side in the Greek alphabet, and on the common side in the Roman alphabet. The Euro cent as known as the lepto (plural lepta) in Greek, as a throwback to the withdrawn Greek currency, the Drachma which was divided into 100 lepta.

In the 1990s, circulating coins depicted Greek personalities of more recent times.  Nevertheless, classical motifs have reappeared on Greek Euro coinage.

The largest two denomination coins depict Greek history and mythology.

The above is  the original design of the common side of the 2 Euro coin. 

The above is the new design of the common side of the 2 Euro coin which is placed on the Greek 2 Euro coins.

 The National side of the Greek 2 Euro coin depicting Europa riding on the Bull's back.

The National side of the 2.00 Euro Greek coins show the abduction of Europa by Zeus in the guise of a bull.

The specifications of this coin are:

Diameter: 25.75 mm; Thickness: 2.20 mm; Weight: 8.50 gms; Shape: Round; Colour: Outer part: silver; inner part: gold coloured; Metal Composition: Outer part: copper-nickel; inner part: three layers: nickel brass, nickel and nickel brass.

 Edge: Edge lettering “EAAHNIKH ^HMOKPATIA” meaning “Hellenic Republic”, fine milled.        

Abduction of Europa by Zeus: One version of her identity mentions that Europa is believed to be of Phoenician descent and the daughter of Agenor, the Phoenician King of Tyre. The Iliad, however, mentions her as the daughter of Agenor’s son, Phoenix.

According to mythology, Zeus, the King of the Gods, was so enamoured of Europa that he planned to abduct her. He transformed himself into a white bull and mingled in with her father’s herds. While Europa and her companions were gathering flowers, she saw the bull and caressed his flanks, eventually getting onto his back. Zeus seized the opportunity and ran to the sea and swam with her on his back to the island of Crete, where he revealed his true identity and ravished her. Zeus gave her a necklace made by Hephaestus, the Smith of the Gods, as well as three additional gifts – Talos (a bull-headed brazen giant who was given the assignment of defending Crete against inimical forces), Laelaps (a swift dog which Procaris had earlier given to Cephalus, King of Crete) and a javelin/spear that never missed (The last two were the gifts of Artemis which never missed their quarry/target). Zeus, also, recreated the shape of a white bull in the sky which is known as the constellation Taurus. Europa had 3 sons fathered by Zeus – Minos, Rhadamanthus and Sarpedon who became the 3 judges of the Underworld when they died.

Zeus was welcomed by the present King of Crete, Asterion, who later married Europa, and she became the Queen of Crete, and became the step-mother of his daughter Crete.

The continent of Europe is named after her. A metal Europium (a rare Earth element is also named after her as is a moon of Jupiter. The second series of European Banknotes is known as the Europa series and bears her image in the watermark and hologram.

 The above is  the original design of the common side of the 1 Euro coin.

 The above is the new design of the common side of the 2 Euro coin which is placed on the Greek 1 Euro coins.

  The National side of the Greek 2 Euro coin depicting a Tetradrachm Athenian coin from 5th Century BC.

The National side of the 1.00 Euro Greek coins show a picture of a 5^th Century BC Tetradrachm coin of Athens (the owl symbol of Athena) or in other words “a coin within a coin”.

The specifications of this coin are:

Diameter: 23.25 mm; Thickness: 2.33 mm; Weight: 7.50 gms; Shape: Round; Colour: Outer part: gold; inner part: silver coloured Metal Composition: Outer part: nickel brass; inner part: three layers: copper-nickel, nickel and copper-nickel.

 Edge: Edge lettering “EAAHNIKH ^HMOKPATIA” meaning “Hellenic Republic”, interrupted milled.

The middle denomination coins depict some famous Greeks –  0.10 Euro coins show a portrait of Rigas Feraios who was a Greek writer and revolutionary, 0.20 Euro coins  show a portrait of Loannis Kapodistrias who was Greece’s first statesman while the 0.50 Euro coins depict Eleftherios Venizelos who was a Greek politician.

 The above is  the original design of the common side of the 10 Euro cent coin.

The above is the new design of the common side of the 10 Euro coin which is placed on the Greek 10 Euro cent coins.

The National side of the Greek 10 Euro cent coin depicting Rigas Feraios. 

The National side of the 0.10 (Ten cent) Euro Greek coins show a portrait of Rigas Feraios, who was a Greek Freedom fighter and writer.

The specifications of this coin are:

Diameter: 19.75 mm; Thickness: 1.93 mm; Weight: 4.10 gms; Shape: Round; Colour: Gold; Metal Composition: Nordic gold; Edge: Shaped edge with fine scallops.

Rigas Feraios or Rigas Velestinlis (1757 – 24.06.1798): He was a Greek writer, political thinker and revolutionary who was active in the Modern Greek Enlightenment and remembered as a National hero. He was a victim of the Balkan uprising against the Ottoman Empire and one of the first Freedom fighters in the Greek War of Independence. At the age of 20, he killed an important Ottoman person and fled to the uplands of Mount Olympus, where he joined a band of soldiers led by Spiros Zeras. Thereafter, he joined the service of the Wallachian Prince Nicholas Mavrogenes.

He later learnt of the French Revolution and believed that a similar Revolution could be initiated in the Balkans leading to self-determination for the Christian subjects of the Ottomans and began to garner support for an uprising by meeting Greek bishops and guerrilla leaders. In his endeavour, he went to Bucharest and Vienna and tried to ask for Napoleon Bonaparte’s assistance and support. He printed pamphlets based on the principles of the French Revolution, including the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen and New Political Constitution of the Inhabitants of Rumeli, Asia Minor, the Islands of the Aegean, and the principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia for the purpose of starting a Pan-Balkan uprising against the Ottomans.

During one of his extensive travels to garner support for a Revolution, he was betrayed by a Greek businessman and arrested at Trieste by Austrian authorities who handed him over to the Ottoman Governor of Belgrade where he was brutally tortured & imprisoned. While in transit to Constantinople to be sentenced by Sultan Selim III, he, along with five freedom fighters, was strangled to death to prevent them from being rescued by their supporters.

He wrote several poems and books, including the Thourios or Patriotic Hymn in which he penned “It is finer to live one hour as a free man than forty years as a slave and prisoner” and he urged the people to leave Ottoman occupied towns and live in the mountains where they might experience more freedom.

 He has been honoured by statues which stand at the entrance of the University of Athens and in Belgrade on a street which bears his name. His portrait also featured on the Greek 200 Drachma Banknote circulated in 1996 till 2001 and a 50 Drachma commemorative coin was issued in 1998 marking the 200^th Anniversary of his martyrdom.

 The above is  the original design of the common side of the 20 Euro cent coin.

 The above is the new design of the common side of the 20 Euro coin which is placed on the Greek 20 Euro cent coins.

 The National side of the Greek 20 Euro cent coin depicting Ioannis Kapodistrias.
The National side of the 0.20 Euro Greek coins show a portrait of Ioannis Kapodistrias who was Greece’s first statesman.

The specifications of this coin are:

Diameter: 22.25 mm; Thickness: 2.14 mm; Weight: 5.74 gms; Shape: Spanish flower shape; Colour: Gold; Metal Composition: Nordic gold; Edge: Plain.

Count Ioannis Antonios Kapodistrias or John Capodistrias (11.02.1776-09.10.1831): He was a Greek Foreign Minister of the Russian Empire and one of the most distinguished politicians and diplomats of Europe. He was elected as the first head of the state of independent Greece (1827-33) and is considered to be the founder of the modern Greek State and of Greek Independence. He launched a major reform and modernisation programme in the country and tried reorganised the military which made the recapture of territories lost to the Ottoman Empire during the Greek Civil Wars. He introduced the phoenix, the first modern Greek currency, organised local administration and to raise the living standards of the population introduced potato cultivation into Greece. During his vigorous reforms initiatives, he underestimated/overlooked the political authority and military strength of the traditional clans who had participated in a big way in the Greek War of Independence and who had expected to play a part in the Greek Government.

By 1831, his government had become despotic and his policies led to resentment and ultimately met with rebellion. Although the rebellion was contained, Kapodistrias’ position was weakened. In the same year, Kapodistrias ordered the imprisonment of Petrobey Mavromichalis, the Bey of the Mani Peninsula, which was one of the most rebellious parts of Greece and was, in turn, assassinated by Petrobey’s brother Konstantis and his son Georgios in Nafplion.

 The above is  the original design of the common side of the 50 Euro cent coin.

 The above is the new design of the common side of the 50 Euro coin which is placed on the Greek 50 Euro cent coins.

 The National side of the Greek 50 Euro cent coin depicting Eleftherios Venizelos.

The National side of the 0.50 Euro Greek coins show a portrait of Eleftherios Venizelos who was a Greek politician.

The specifications of this coin are:

Diameter: 24.25 mm; Thickness: 2.38 mm; Weight: 7.80 gms; Shape: Round; Colour: Gold; Metal Composition: Nordic gold; Edge: shaped edge with fine scallops.

Eleftherios Venizelos (23.08.1864-18.03.1936):

He was an eminent Greek leader of the Greek National liberation movement and a statesman of the early 20^th century remembered for his promotion of liberal democratic policies. He was elected the Prime Minister of Greece twice – first from 1919-1920 and then again from 1828-1932. He is credited with being the “maker of modern Greece” and is known as the “Ethnarch”. He was hailed as a hero because he had helped liberate areas with Greek populations and had created a state stretching over “five seas and two continents”.

He survived an assassination attempt on 12.08.1920 and two coup attempts in 1933 and 1935. He passed away on 18.03.1936 after suffering a stroke five days earlier.

The smaller denomination coins depict Greek ships – 0.01 Euro coins show an Athenian trireme from the 5^th century BC, 0.02 Euro coins depict a corvette or dromon of the early 19^th century, while the 0.05 Euro coins depict a modern tanker which symbolises Greek enterprise.

 The above is  the original design of the common side of the 5 Euro cent coin.

 The National side of the Greek 5 Euro cent coin depicts a modern tanker.

The National side of the 0.05 Euro Greek coins depict a modern tanker which symbolises Greek enterprise.

 The specifications of this coin are:

Diameter: 21.25 mm; Thickness: 1.67 mm; Weight: 3.92 gms; Shape: Round; Colour: Copper; Metal Composition: Copper covered steel; Edge: Smooth.

 The above is  the original design of the common side of the 2 Euro cent coin.

 The National side of the Greek 5 Euro cent coin depicts a Corvette

The National side of the 0.02 Euro Greek coins depict a corvette or dromon of the early 19^th century.

The specifications of this coin are:

Diameter: 18.75 mm; Thickness: 1.67 mm; Weight: 3.06 gms; Shape: Round; Colour: Copper; Metal Composition: Nordic gold; Edge: Smooth with a groove.

Corvette: A corvette is a small, manoeuvrable, lightly armed Warship. During the Age of Sail, corvettes were smaller than frigates and larger than sloops-of-war, usually with a single gun deck. (Laskarina Bouboulina, the formidable Fleet Commander of the Greek War of Independence(1821-1830), and one of the War’s heroines, had a corvette as her Flagship named the “Agamemnon” after the legendary King of Greek mythology who led the Spartan Allies against Troy described by Homer in his epic – The Iliad).

 The above is  the new design of the common side of the 1 Euro cent coin.

  The National side of the Greek 1 Euro cent coin depicting an Athenian trireme from the 5th Century BC.

The National side of the 0.01 (1 EuroCent) Euro Greek coins depict an Athenian trireme from the 5^th century BC.

The specifications of this coin are:

Diameter: 16.25 mm; Thickness: 1.67 mm; Weight: 2.30 gms; Shape: Round; Colour: Copper; Metal Composition: Copper covered steel; Edge: Smooth.

 An Athenian Trireme from the 4th Century BC.

The Trireme: The early civilisations of the Mediterranean settled their disputes at sea by means of long, fast graceful wooden ships called the galleys which were moved by scores of rowers and carried marines and a ship-sinking weapon “the ram” (a menacing, metal tipped extension of the keel). The first galleys had single banks of oars, but the navies of Egypt, Greece and Phoenicia progressed to two-banked galleys and later the three-banked trireme, which was dubbed the first Battleship – fast moving with an awesome striking power and manoeuvrability. The largest Greek trireme like this one was 125 feet long, 20 feet wide and carried 170 oarsmen, 30 sailors, 14 spear bearers and four archers in addition to the intimidating “ram”.  At the naval battle of Salamis (380 BC), where both sides used Triremes, a small Greek fleet routed a Persian fleet of about 800 ships as they entered the narrow confines of a bay near Athens, with the Greeks taking advantage of a favourable wind, ramming several Persian ships leading to the Persian rear ranks piling into their retreating advance. The Greek triremes moved back, after attacking the Persian ships, with such efficiency that the Persians could not take advantage of their numerical superiority.

Commemorative coins in Euro:

 Greece has issued commemorative coins from 10 to 200 Euros in both silver and gold, for example celebrating the 75^th Anniversary of the Bank of Greece in 2003 with a 200 Euro gold coin.

On 12.05.2004, the first Olympic circulation Commemorative Euro coin was circulated. It showed a discus thrower (discobolus) by Myron, the famous Greek sculptor of the 5^th century BC, and is based on a copy of a bronze statue at the British Museum in London.

A silver 10 Euro coin commemorating “Patras, the European capital of culture” was issued in 2006.

Similarly, in 2007, a 2 Euro coin was issued commemorating the 50^th Anniversary of the Signature of the Treaty of Rome and a silver 10 Euro coin commemorating the “Acropolis Museum in 2008”. In 2009, a 2 euro coin was issued to commemorate the “10^th Anniversary of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU)” when all Euro area countries jointly issued a common commemorative coin with a common national side.

A 50 Euro mini gold coin “dedicated to ancient Pella”, a 10 Euro silver coin “dedicated to Greek culture – Philosophers – Socrates”, a 10 Euro silver coin “dedicated to Greek culture – Tragedians – Aeschylus”, a 100 Euro gold coin commemorating the “Centennial of the Balkan Wars – 1912-2012” and a 100 Euro Collector gold coin commemorating the “Centennial of the liberation of Thessaloniki – 1912-2012” were included in the commemorative coins issued in 2012.

Similarly, commemorative coins issued/to be issued in 2014, include – a 10 Euro silver coin commemorating the “Greek Presidency of the EU Council 2014”, a 2 Euro circulation coin remembering the “400 years from death of Domeniko Theolokopoulous”, a 2 Euro circulation coin commemorating “150 years from Unification of the Ionian Islands with Greece”, a 5 Euro coin commemorating “200 years from the foundation of the Philiki Etaireia”, a Blister Pack dedicated to “Greek tourism – Thrace” - containing a set of all 8 commemorative euro coins, a 200 Euro gold coin commemorating “Greek culture – Aristotle (384-322 BC)”, a 10 Euro silver coin commemorating “Greek culture – Aristotle (384-322 BC)”, a 10 Euro silver coin commemorating “Greek Culture – Tragedians – Europides (485-406 BC)”, a 100 Euro “mini gold plus” commemorating “Greek Mythology – The Olympia Gods – Zeus”, a 50 Euro “mini gold coin” commemorating “Cultural Heritage – Cycladic Civilisation”.

Numismatic Museum in Athens:

The Numismatic Museum in Athens has one of the greatest collections of coins, both ancient and modern in the World. It is established in the mansion of the archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann, which was previously known as “Iliou Melathron” (the “Palace of Ilion”). 

The collection includes some 600000 pieces of coins, medals, standard masses, dies, stamps etc. and one can see the developmental history of the Greek coinage history as one passes along the exhibits. There are exhibits of coins from the Greek Poleis (city-states) and the Hellenistic and Roman periods as well.  There are Byzantine period and Medieval coin collections from Western Europe, the East and the Ottoman Empire.

One of the exhibits at the Numismatic Museum in Athens is Pheidon’s offerings to the goddess Hera at the temple in Argos, which was in the form of a collection of various small metal objects used in the “pre-coinage” times as well as offerings of coins minted in the “new numismatic period” which began in his reign, which were discovered in 1906. Several other coins found in excavations, including from Aegina are among the exhibits – each one of which tells a fascinating story about the times when it was minted.

Links:
1)  Coinage of Greece: The Four Ages of Greek Coinage of Antiquity 
 2) Some ancient coins depicting Greek mythology & history 
3) Ancient Olympic Games on Greek coins of Antiquity
4) Modern Greek coins: Drachmas & Leptas; Commemorative Greek Drachma coins.