1 Cent - This design features an advanced model of an Athenian trireme, the largest warship afloat for more than 200 years, dating from the time of the Athenian democracy (fifth century BC).
2 Cent - Depicted on this coin is a corvette, a type of ship used during the Greek War of Independence (1821-27).
5 Cent - This coin shows a modern sea-going tanker, reflecting the innovative spirit of Greek shipping.
10 Cent - Rigas Fereos (Velestinlis) (1757-98) is featured on this coin. He was a forerunner and leading figure of the Greek enlightenment, as well as a visionary and herald of Balkan liberation from Ottoman rule.
20 Cent - This coin commemorates Ioannis Capodistrias (1776-1831), a leading national and European politician and diplomat who became the first Governor of Greece (1830-31) following the Greek War of Independence (1821-27).
50 Cent - Eleftherios Venizelos (1864-1936), one of Greece's most prominent political figures, is shown on this coin. He was a pioneer in social reform, a renowned diplomat and played a key role in modernising the Greek state and liberating Northern Greece and the Aegean islands.
1 Euro - The image of the owl featured in this design was copied from an ancient Athenian 4-drachma coin (fifth century BC).
2 Euro - The coin shows a stick figure which merges into the € symbol. It seeks to convey the idea of the single currency and, by extension, Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) being the latest step in Europe’s long history of trade and economic integration. The coin is issued by each euro area country and shows the name of the country as well as the legend ‘EMU 1999-2009’ in the respective language(s). The design was chosen out of a shortlist of five by members of the public across the European Union voting online. It was created by George Stamatopoulos, a sculptor from the Minting department at the Bank of Greece. The coin’s outer ring bears the 12 stars of the European Union.
