Greek euro coins
Encyclopedia
Greek euro coins feature a unique design for each of the eight coins. They were all designed by Georgios Stamatopoulos with the minor coins depicting Greek ships, the middle ones portraying famous Greeks and the two large denominations showing images of Greek history and mythology
. All designs feature the 12 stars of the EU
, the year of imprint and a tiny symbol of the Bank of Greece. Uniquely, the value of the coins is expressed on the national side in the Greek alphabet, as well as being on the common side in the Roman alphabet. The euro cent is known as the lepto
(λεπτό; plural lepta, λεπτά) in Greek.
Greece
did not enter the eurozone until 2001 and was not able to start minting coins as early as the other eleven member states, so a number of coins circulated in 2002 were not minted in Athens
but in Finland
(€1 and €2 – mint mark S), France (1c, 2c, 5c, 10c and 50c – mint mark F) and Spain (20c – mint mark E). The coins minted in Athens for the euro introduction in 2002 as well as all the subsequent Greek euro coins do not carry any mint mark.
.
issued a recommendation on 19 December 2008, a common guideline for the national sides and the issuance of euro coins intended for circulation. One section of this recommendation stipulates that:
A new design on the Greek euro coins is expected in the near future to comply with these new guidelines, although nothing has officially been announced.
issued starter kits for the introduction of the Euro.
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
. All designs feature the 12 stars of the EU
European symbols
A number of symbols of Europe have emerged throughout history. Depending on the symbol, they can apply to Europe as a whole, European unity or merely to the European Union...
, the year of imprint and a tiny symbol of the Bank of Greece. Uniquely, the value of the coins is expressed on the national side in the Greek alphabet, as well as being on the common side in the Roman alphabet. The euro cent is known as the lepto
Greek lepton
Lepton pl. Lepta is the name of various fractional units of currency used in the Greek-speaking world from antiquity until today...
(λεπτό; plural lepta, λεπτά) in Greek.
Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
did not enter the eurozone until 2001 and was not able to start minting coins as early as the other eleven member states, so a number of coins circulated in 2002 were not minted in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
but in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
(€1 and €2 – mint mark S), France (1c, 2c, 5c, 10c and 50c – mint mark F) and Spain (20c – mint mark E). The coins minted in Athens for the euro introduction in 2002 as well as all the subsequent Greek euro coins do not carry any mint mark.
Greek euro design
For images of the common side and a detailed description of the coins, see euro coinsEuro coins
There are eight euro coin denominations, ranging from one cent to two euros . The coins first came into use in 2002. They have a common reverse, portraying a map of Europe, but each country in the eurozone has its own design on the obverse, which means that each coin has a variety of different...
.
Circulating Mintage quantities
The following table shows the mintage quantity for all Greek euro coins, per denomination, per year (the numbers are represented in millions).| Face Value | €0.01 | €0.02 | €0.05 | €0.10 | €0.20 | €0.50 | €1.00 | €2.00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 100.94 | 175.94 | 210.94 | 138.94 | 208.94 | 92.94 | 61.44 | 75.34 |
| 2002 EFS | 15.0 | 18.0 | 90.0 | 100.0 | 120.0 | 70.0 | 50.0 | 70.0 |
| 2003 | 35.1 | 9.4 | 650.7 | 500.7 | 700.7 | 600.7 | 11.60 | 0.4507 |
| 2004 | 49.97 | 24.97 | 220.0 | 9.97 | 470.0 | 470.0 | 9.97 | *** |
| 2005 | 14.95 | 14.95 | 950.0 | 24.95 | 950.0 | 950.0 | 9.95 | 0.95 |
| 2006 | 44.95 | 44.95 | 49.95 | 44.95 | 950.0 | 950.0 | 9.95 | 0.95 |
| 2007 | 60.03 | 25.0 | 55.0 | 60.04 | 0.95 | 0.95 | 24.17 | *** |
| 2008 | 24.0 | 68.0 | 50.0 | 40.0 | 20.0 | 10.0 | 4.0 | 1.0 |
| 2009 | 49.975 | 15.975 | 37.975 | 45.975 | 23.975 | 6.975 | 17.975 | 0.975 |
| 2010 | 27.0 | 31.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 12.0 | 6.0 | 11.0 | 1.0 |
| 2011 | ** | ** | ** | ** | ** | ** | ** | ** |
Future changes to national sides
The European CommissionEuropean Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
issued a recommendation on 19 December 2008, a common guideline for the national sides and the issuance of euro coins intended for circulation. One section of this recommendation stipulates that:
A new design on the Greek euro coins is expected in the near future to comply with these new guidelines, although nothing has officially been announced.
Greek starter kit
In 2001 the Central Bank of GreeceBank of Greece
The Bank of Greece is the nationalcentral bank of Greece, located in Athens on Panepistimiou Street, with several branches across the country. Founded in 1927...
issued starter kits for the introduction of the Euro.
Identifying marks
| National Identifier | None yet |
| Mint Mark |  |
| Engravers Initials |  ΓΣ |
| €2 Edge inscription |  ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΔΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑ ✯ |