About Greek Euro Coins

History

• Greece switched its currency from the drachma to the euro on January 1, 2002. The Greek coins were designed by George Stamatapoulos.

Features

• Greek euro coins come in eight denominations: two euros, one euro, 50 cents, 20 cents, 10 cents, five cents, two cents, and one cent. The Greek coins use the Greek alphabet to name the currency on the national side. Each denomination has a different design.

Designs

• The two-euro coin depicts Europa being kidnapped by Zeus; the one-euro coin depicts the owl of Athena; Eleftherios Venizelos, Ioannis Capodistrias, and Rigas Velestinlis-Fereos are on the 50-cent, 20-cent, and 10-cent coins, respectively; and the small coins depict a tanker, a corvette, and a trireme.

Security

• The one euro and two euro coins use two different metals sandwiched together, and the 10-, 20-, and 50-cent coins use a Nordic gold alloy to make counterfeiting more difficult. Each country's coins have different lettering around the edge; the Greek coins say, "EΛΛHNIKH "HMOKPATIA".

Geography

• The Greek coins are minted in Greece, but can be used throughout the Eurozone, which comprises the 16 European countries that have adopted the euro as their currency.