Depicts a bronze Corinthian helmet with a bush of horsehair in the middle, surrounded by the inscription in Greek (2500th Anniversary of the Battle of Thermopylae), the state name below. A palmette (the mint mark of the Greek Mint) and date one the middle left. The twelve stars of the European Union surround the design on the outer ring.

The Corinthian helmet originated in ancient Greece and took its name from the city-state of Corinth. It was a helmet made of bronze which in its later styles covered the entire head and neck, with slits for the eyes and mouth. A large curved projection protected the nape of the neck.

Engraver: Georgios Stamatopoulos

A geographical map of Western Europe spans the outer ring and inner core on the right side of the coin. The inscription 2 EURO is superimposed over the map of Europe, with the numeral “2” located in an open field representing the eastern Atlantic Ocean.

12 stars are located on the right 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 “O” in “EURO.”

HELLENIC REPUBLIC in Greek.