2003 Coinage
| Palace of Knossos | ||||
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| Designer: Panayiotis Gravalos & Kostas Kazakos | Mint: Mint of Greece | |||
| Value: €100 | Alloy: Au 999 (Gold) | Quantity: 28,000 | Quality: Proof | |
| Issued: 3 March 2003 | Diameter: 25 mm (0.98 in) | Weight: 10 g (0.35 oz; 0.32 ozt) | Issue price: €440 | |
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The Minoan civilization (2600-1100 BC) developed on the island of Crete. The Palace of Minos at Knossos, was the economic and administrative center; it also had a sacred character. The palace, which is the subject of the first gold coin of the 2004 Summer Olympics, is noteworthy for its many well preserved interior wall paintings depicting social life in the Minoan period including the famous wall painting "Taurokatharpsia" (bull vaulting), an ancient form of bullfighting. A view of the monument can be seen on the obverse of the coin. The reverse, similarly to all coins of the series, features two concentric rings. The outer ring portrays 12 stars, a design motif characteristic of euro coins. The inner ring portrays the face value of €100, an olive branch around the Athens 2004 logo, the five Olympic circles, and the Anthemion Flower - the symbol of the Greek Mint. |
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| Discus | ||||
| Designer: Panayiotis Gravalos & Kostas Kazakos | Mint: Mint of Greece | |||
| Value: €10 | Alloy: Ag 925 (Silver) | Quantity: 68,000 | Quality: Proof | |
| Issued: 3 March 2003 | Diameter: 40 mm (1.57 in) | Weight: 34 g (1.20 oz; 1.09 ozt) | Issue price: €44 Market value: €40-€45 |
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| Discus throwing has remained virtually unchanged in the 28 centuries of its history. It is considered one of the most "noble" sporting events, since it did not have any direct connection with military exercises or farm work. In antiquity it formed part of the pentathlon. On the obverse of the coin a modern athlete is seen in the foreground in a half-turned position, while in the background an ancient discus thrower has been captured in a lively bending motion, with the discus high above his head, creating a vivid representation of the sport.
The reverse, similarly to all coins of the series, features two concentric rings. The outer ring portrays 12 stars, a design motif characteristic of euro coins. The inner ring portrays the face value of €10, an olive branch around the Athens 2004 logo, the five Olympic circles, and the Anthemion Flower - the symbol of the Greek Mint. |
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| Running | ||||
| Designer: Panayiotis Gravalos & Kostas Kazakos | Mint: Mint of Greece | |||
| Value: €10 | Alloy: Ag 925 (Silver) | Quantity: 68,000 | Quality: Proof | |
| Issued: 3 March 2003 | Diameter: 40 mm (1.57 in) | Weight: 34 g (1.20 oz; 1.09 ozt) | Issue price: €44 Market value: €40-€45 |
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| Track and field athletics have their roots in the history of Ancient Greece. The first of the Ancient Olympic Games in 776 BC included a 192.20 m (210.19 yd) sprint known as the one stadium race (equivalent to today's 200 meters sprint). It was the only athletic event during the first 13 Olympiads until 728 BC. In the obverse of the coin, a modern athlete figure appears in the foreground, shown in the starting position, while in the background two ancient runners are carved in a manner that gives the appearance of a coin that is "worn" by time. This scene originally appeared on a black-figure vase of the 6th century BC. | ||||
| Crypt of Olympia | ||||
| Designer: Panayiotis Gravalos & Kostas Kazakos | Mint: Mint of Greece | |||
| Value: €100 | Alloy: Au 999 (Gold) | Quantity: 28,000 | Quality: Proof | |
| Issued: 2 June 2003 | Diameter: 25 mm (0.98 in) | Weight: 10 g (0.35 oz; 0.32 ozt) | Issue price: €440 Market value: €398 |
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| The entire area of Olympia is occupied by temples, altars, gymnasia, stadia, porticoes, guest houses, treasuries of various Greek cities and a great number of statues. The first games in Olympia are believed to have been held in 776 BC, a date that thereafter constituted the basis for the calculation of time in antiquity. The Olympiad was a period of four years, counting the interval between two Olympic Games. Initially local games, they soon became Peloponnesian and then pan-Hellenic. They acquired an official status, since, whenever in progress, a military truce was declared and any hostilities between rival Greek city-states ceased. One of the most important monuments of Olympia is the Crypt, which has been selected as main motif on this coin on the obverse, a long and narrow vaulted passage through which the athletes and judges entered the Stadium, signifying the opening of the games. | ||||
| Javelin | ||||
| Designer: Panayiotis Gravalos & Kostas Kazakos | Mint: Mint of Greece | |||
| Value: €10 | Alloy: Ag 925 (Silver) | Quantity: 68,000 | Quality: Proof | |
| Issued: 2 June 2003 | Diameter: 40 mm (1.57 in) | Weight: 34 g (1.20 oz; 1.09 ozt) | Issue price: €44 Market value: €33-€45 |
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| The javelin was one of the pentathlon sports of the ancient Olympic Games and took on two forms (throwing the javelin for distance and throwing the javelin at a target). The difference between the ancient and the modern javelin is the use (in antiquity) of a thong, or strap to propel the javelin. The event of the javelin throw was re-introduced at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London for men only. It was later extended in the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California for both, men and women.
In the obverse of the coin, as a main motif, a modern athlete figure appears in the foreground, running towards the starting point of the throw. In the background, an ancient athlete is shown in preparation for the throw. |
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| Long jump | ||||
| Designer: Panayiotis Gravalos & Kostas Kazakos | Mint: Mint of Greece | |||
| Value: €10 | Alloy: Ag 925 (Silver) | Quantity: 68,000 | Quality: Proof | |
| Issued: 2 June 2003 | Diameter: 40 mm (1.57 in) | Weight: 34 g (1.20 oz; 1.09 ozt) | Issue price: €44 Market value: €32-€45 |
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| Long jump is also one of the classical track events, drawing its roots from ancient times. In antiquity only the long jump without momentum existed, where the athlete had to hold halteres (dumbbells) in each hand, which he swung vigorously to help him achieve momentum, and then dropped behind him before landing. The men's long jump was for the first time on the programme of the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens, while the women's on the programme of the 1948 Summer Olympics in London. In its modern version it assumes 4 forms: simple jump, triple jump, high jump and pole vault.
The obverse of the coin portrays a modern athlete at the moment he is touching the ground, while the ancient athlete in the background is shown while starting off his jump, as he is seen on a black-figure vase of the 5th century BC. |
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| The Panathenean Stadium | ||||
| Designer: Panayiotis Gravalos & Kostas Kazakos | Mint: Mint of Greece | |||
| Value: €100 | Alloy: Au 999 (Gold) | Quantity: 28,000 | Quality: Proof | |
| Issued: 1 September 2003 | Diameter: 25 mm (0.98 in) | Weight: 10 g (0.35 oz; 0.32 ozt) | Issue price: €440 Market value: €398 |
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| The Panathinaiko Stadium is a marble stadium (Kallimarmaron) located on the Ardettos hill in Athens. The Panathenaic Games were held in this stadium, believed to have been built around 330 BC. In 1896, when the first Olympic Games of the modern era were to be held, the Greek public benefactor George Averoff undertook the enormous expenses for the restoration of the stadium. Architect Anastasios Metaxas was in charge of the reconstruction. The inauguration of the stadium was celebrated on 25 March 1896 (Greece Independence Day), together with the opening of the first Olympic Games of modern times. This stadium was selected as the main motif for this coin. | ||||
| Horse Riding | ||||
| Designer: Panayiotis Gravalos & Kostas Kazakos | Mint: Mint of Greece | |||
| Value: €10 | Alloy: Ag 925 (Silver) | Quantity: 68,000 | Quality: Proof | |
| Issued: 1 September 2003 | Diameter: 40 mm (1.57 in) | Weight: 34 g (1.20 oz; 1.09 ozt) | Issue price: €44 Market value: €40-€45 |
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| Equestrianism (horse riding) is a noble sport of great tradition, based on the relationship between humans and horses. Two Equestrian events, chariot racing and horse racing, were first included in the 25th ancient Olympic Games competition schedule, in 680 BC. Equestrian events developed primary from training horses in warfare. Many reports point to the fact that ancient Greeks used exercises similar to the modern Dressage events, in order to train their horses to move accurately and precisely in the battlefields and in competition. Many Olympic coins were struck in antiquity on the occasion of victories in equestrian events. On the composition of the obverse of this coin, the modern horseman is pictured as he jumps over an obstacle, while in the background the ancient horseman is inspired by a representation on a black-figure vase of the 5th century BC. | ||||
| Relays | ||||
| Designer: Panayiotis Gravalos & Kostas Kazakos | Mint: Mint of Greece | |||
| Value: €10 | Alloy: Ag 925 (Silver) | Quantity: 68,000 | Quality: Proof | |
| Issued: 1 September 2003 | Diameter: 40 mm (1.57 in) | Weight: 34 g (1.20 oz; 1.09 ozt) | Issue price: €44 Market value: €33.50-€45 |
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| Relay races can be traced to the ancient custom of sending messages via a series of couriers (skytalodromoi or "runners with a message stick"). Each courier handed the stick to the next courier until its destination was safely reached. In the Olympic relay race each country has four runners. Each runner covers a quarter of the distance, called a leg, then passes a rigid hollow tube called a baton to a succeeding team member. Changeovers must be accomplished within a zone extending 18 m (20 yd) from the beginning of each baton exchange area. In the obverse of the coin three modern athletes run, holding their batons while in the background three ancient athletes are shown running a race known as the dolichos (a semi-endurance race of approximately 3,800 meters distance). | ||||
| Olympic Village Zappeion | ||||
| Designer: Panayiotis Gravalos & Kostas Kazakos | Mint: Mint of Greece | |||
| Value: €100 | Alloy: Au 999 (Gold) | Quantity: 28,000 | Quality: Proof | |
| Issued: 3 November 2003 | Diameter: 25 mm (0.98 in) | Weight: 10 g (0.35 oz; 0.32 ozt) | Issue price: €440 Market value: €398 |
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| The Zappeion, which is the subject of the fourth gold coin of the series, is related to the first Modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896. At that time the lack of infrastructure and facilities for the participants required the use of the mansion as an "Olympic Village". The Zappeion was an Athenian mansion built at the expense of the Greek public benefactor Evangelos Zappas (1800–1865) to serve as the venue for Greek artistic, agricultural and industrial fairs. In order to create a garden around the building, Charilaos Trikoupis decided to relocate the Protestant cemetery that was situated there. The Zappeion, designed by the architect Baron Theophil von Hansen, was built between 1874 and 1888. It was originally given the name 'Olympia' and acquired its present name after the death of the two brothers Evangelos and Konstantinos Zappas, whose busts – created by the well-known Greek sculptors I. Kossos and G. Vroutos respectively – stand at the entrance of the building. | ||||
| Gymnastics | ||||
| Designer: Panayiotis Gravalos & Kostas Kazakos | Mint: Mint of Greece | |||
| Value: €10 | Alloy: Ag 925 (Silver) | Quantity: 68,000 | Quality: Proof | |
| Issued: 3 November 2003 | Diameter: 40 mm (1.57 in) | Weight: 34 g (1.20 oz; 1.09 ozt) | Issue price: €44 Market value: €39-€45 |
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| Rhythmic gymnastics is one of the oldest sports in the world. In ancient Greece, three distinct programmes of gymnastic exercise were developed: one for the maintenance of good physical condition, another for military training, and a third as part of the conditioning regimen for athletes. Modern rhythmic gymnastics were developed in the late 1950s. In this "for females only" sport, disciplines are characterized by the use of accessories such as a ball, clubs, hoop and rope, and ribbons, to the accompaniment of music. The obverse of the coin represents a young woman holding a ribbon, executing a graceful movement, while in the background, two female athletes from antiquity execute a series of acrobatic interactions. The scene was taken from a terra cotta in Southern Italy. | ||||
| Swimming | ||||
| Designer: Panayiotis Gravalos & Kostas Kazakos | Mint: Mint of Greece | |||
| Value: €10 | Alloy: Ag 925 (Silver) | Quantity: 68,000 | Quality: Proof | |
| Issued: 3 November 2003 | Diameter: 40 mm (1.57 in) | Weight: 34 g (1.20 oz; 1.09 ozt) | Issue price: €44 Market value: €40-€45 |
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| Swimming was highly esteemed in both ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, as shown on vases and wall paintings dating back to the 17th century BC. Swimming was extremely important in the training of warriors. In modern times competitive swimming was popuralized in the Kingdom of Great Britain at the end of the 18th century and the first modern Olympic Games, held in Athens, Greece, in 1896, included swimming races. On the obverse of this coin a woman swimmer is depicted, preparing to dive from the starting platform, while in the background another woman athlete is just about to dive into the water in a scene from an Archaic bronze statuette. | ||||
| Greece EU Presidency | ||||
| Designer: - | Mint: Mint of Greece | |||
| Value: €10 | Alloy: Ag 925 (Silver) | Quantity: 50,000 | Quality: Proof | |
| Issued: 2003 | Diameter: 28.25 mm (1.11 in) Thickness: 1.92 mm (0.08 in) |
Weight: 9.75 g (0.34 oz; 0.31 ozt) | Market value: €32-€35 | |
| This coin was issued to commemorate the Treaty of Accession 2003, signed in Athens on 16 April 2003, with Greece holding the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
The Treaty of Accession 2003 was the agreement between the European Union and ten countries (Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia), concerning their accession into the EU. It entered into force on 1 May 2004, the day of the enlargement of the European Union and, at the same time, it changed a number of points which were laid down in the original Treaty of Nice. On the obverse of the coin, the logo of the Greek presidency, together with the words ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΠΡΟΕΔΡΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΥΡΩΠΑΙΚΗΣ ΕΝΩΣΗΣ on the top and "HELLENIC PRESIDENCY OF EU" on the bottom, is depicted. On the reverse, the National Emblem of Greece, sourrounded by the words ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΔΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑ (Greek Democracy) and the face value of €10 is shown. |
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| 75th anniversary of Bank of Greece | ||||
| Designer: - | Mint: Mint of Greece | |||
| Value: €20 | Alloy: Ag 925 (Silver) | Quantity: 14,000 | Quality: Proof | |
| Issued: 3 November 2003 | Diameter: 37 mm (1.46 in) | Weight: 31 g (1.09 oz; 1.00 ozt) | Market value: N/A | |
| 75th anniversary of Bank of Greece | ||||
| Designer: - | Mint: Mint of Greece | |||
| Value: €200 | Alloy: Au 999 (Gold) | Quantity: 1000 | Quality: Proof | |
| Issued: 3 November 2003 | Diameter: 37 mm (1.46 in) | Weight: 31 g (1.09 oz; 1.00 ozt) | Market value: N/A | |
| The Bank of Greece was established in 1927, a few years after World War I and the Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922), by an Annex to the Geneva Protocol of 15 September 1927. It began operations on 14 May 1928, under the first Governor Alexandros Diomidis and its 25th and 50th anniversaries (under Governors Georgios Mantzavinos and Xenophon Zolotas, respectively) were celebrated with pomp and circumstance.
The official celebration of the Bank of Greece's 75th Anniversary was held on Monday, 3 November in the Athens Concert Hall, in the presence of Konstantinos Stephanopoulos, President of Greece. These coins were minted celebrating the occasion; they are very rare coins as they were distributed only among bank employees and officials. On the obverse of the coin, the log of the bank in a shape of a waving flag is depicted. Around the flag, the words TΡΑΠΕΖΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΟΣ (Bank of Greece) and the years of foundation of the bank (1928–2003) are shown. On the reverse, the face value of the coin is printed; around it the words ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΔΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑ (Greek Democracy) can be seen. |
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Read more about this topic: Euro Gold And Silver Commemorative Coins (Greece)
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“Designs in connection with postage stamps and coinage may be described, I think, as the silent ambassadors on national taste.”
—William Butler Yeats (1865–1939)