Greece 20 Euro Cent 2007-2023

History

Obverse. Photo © NumisCorner.com

Description

On 7 June 2005, the European Council decided that the common side of the €0.10 to €2 coins should be brought up to date to reflect the enlargement of the EU in 2004. The €0.01, €0.02 and €0.05 coins show Europe in relation to the rest of the world, therefore they remained unchanged. In 2007, the new design was introduced. The design still retains all elements of the original designs but the map of the fifteen states is replaced by one showing the whole of Europe as a continent, without borders, to stress unity.

Obverse	Person (politician, revolutionary, entrepreneur) Ioannis Kapodistrias A portrait of Ioannis Kapodistrias (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), is accompanied by a legend indicating his name and the facial value and is encircled by the twelve stars of Europe. Sign of Athens Mint (stylized acanthus leaf) stands on all coins of Greece, regardless of the origin of the coins. Engravers: Maria Andonatou, Georgios Stamatopoulos (ΓΣ) 20 2008 ΛΕΠΤΑ Ι. ΚΑΠΟΔΙΣΤΡΙΑΣ ΓΣ
Reverse	Geography & astronomy Map A geographical map of Western Europe spans the outer ring and inner core on the left side of the coin. 12 stars are located on the left side of the outer ring, with six stars atop the map of Europe and six stars below it; six vertical stripes cut across the inner core of the coin, visually connecting the upper and lower star segments. Luc Luycx, a designer at the Royal Belgian Mint, designed the Euro’s common reverse; his initials, LL, are seen on the right side of the design, just under the “0” in “20.” 20 LL EURO CENT
Edge	Indented A smooth edge separated into equal sections by seven indents (Spanish flower)