1030) "Demeter", Greek Mythology - "The Olympian Gods": Goddess of Agriculture: A Gold Coin of 100 Euro: Coin issue date: 03.07.2019:

1030)  "Demeter", Greek Mythology - "The Olympian Gods": Goddess of Agriculture: A Gold Coin of 100 Euro: Coin issue date: 03.07.2019:

The Bank of Greece is releasing a Gold Collector Coin on 03.07.2019, which is issued in the coin series titled - "Greek Mythology - the Olympian Gods".

This coin features the Goddess Demeter, sister of Zeus, Poseidon and Pluto, who is the Goddess of agriculture, vegetation and fertility.

By Zeus, Demeter bore a daughter - Persephone - whom Pluto, the God of the Underworld, fell in love with and abducted. 

The distraught Demeter's wanderings in search of her daughter brought her to the village of Eleusis.  Throughout the land, Demeter used her powers and  put a stop to fertility, caused droughts and famine to plague the land.

To alleviate the threat to mankind (who were in no way responsible for her plight), Zeus was forced to intervene and Pluto had to consent to Persephone spending six months every year with her mother Demeter on Earth and spend the remaining six months every year with Pluto in the Underworld.

Further, as per the terms of the negotiated settlement, Demeter was required to teach the art of agriculture to Triptolemos, son of the king of Eleusis, who later taught it to mankind.

Even today, the Goddess Demeter is worshipped/referenced with in the expectations of a good harvest. Her powers of fertility spread further in the ancient world and people in several ancient societies,  prayed to her for children. 

In Greek and Roman coinage, her image/representation along with stalks of wheat (symbolising agriculture) was engraved on several ancient coins. Even as recently as the 20th Century,  she was depicted as a Goddess of Fertility on a Greek Circulation 10 Drachma Silver Coin, which were issued in 1930.

The Commemorative Coin:

The Obverse and Reverse faces of the 100 Euro Gold Coin, depicting Demeter on the Obverse and a stalk of wheat on the Reverse

The Obverse of the 100 Euro Gold Coin depicts an image of a seated Demeter holding a staph in her left arm, with her right hand clasping her cloak.

On the left periphery is engraved the text in Greek "HELLENIC MYTHOLOGY" and her name, also in Greek "DEMETER". The year of issue "2019" and the Hellenic State Mint Mark are also seen in the upper left half of the coin.

Along the border is an intricate design seen on ancient Greek architecture.

The Reverse of the 100 Euro Gold Coin depicts a collection of wheat stalks centred with the Greek State  Crest super-imposed over the stems of the wheat. The text at centre left and right reads in Greek "HELLENIC REPUBLIC". At the lower periphery can be seen the denomination of the coin, again in Greek letters - "100 EURO" (placed on either side of the stalks).

The specifications of this Gold Coin are:

Denomination: 100 Euro; Metal Composition: .999 Fineness Gold (Au); Weight: 3.89 grams; Diameter: 17.5 mm; Coin Quality: Proof; Maximum Mintage: 1,200; Minted by/at: Hellenic State Mint at their facilities in Athens; Minted for: Bank of Greece; Designer: M. Antonatou.

Each coin is encapsulated and presented in a matte-polished wood custom case and is accompaniedwith a Certificate of Authenticity (COA).

Other interesting posts on Greek Coinage and Commemorative Coins:

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. 

5) Coinage of Greece: (Part V): Modern Coins: 1) Greek Euro Coins: ii) Greek Commemorative Euro Coins

6) Battle of Marathon: Battles that changed History Coin Series: A $2, 1 Oz Silver coin minted by the New Zealand Mint on behalf of Niue Island in 2018

7) Herodotus (484 - 425 BC):" Father of History": First coin in the new coin Series titled "Greek Historians": A 10 Euro Silver Coin issued by the Bank of Greece on 30.05.2018

8) Olympian God Apollo: Greek Mythology Coin Series: A 100 Euro Gold Coin minted by the Hellenic State Mint and issued by the Bank of Greece on 19.09.2018

9) Greece: Deposits and Loans Fund: Centenary Celebrations (1919-2019): A Commemorative 5 Euro Cupro-nickel coin issued by the Bank of Greece on 19.03.2019

10) "Demeter", Greek Mythology - "The Olympian Gods": Goddess of agriculture: A Gold Coin of 100 Euro: Coin issue date: 03.07.2019