NUMISMATIC PROGRAMME 2015 HELLENIC REPUBLIC MINISTRY OF FINANCE €10 silver coin dedicated to: «GreeK cUltUre — PhilosoPhers — archimedes» ARCHIMEDES Archimedes was born in 287 BC in Syracuse, Sicily, where he lived most of his life and died in 212 BC during the city’s capture by the Romans. It is very likely that young Archimedes studied in Alexandria, Egypt, the centre of learning for the Greek world. He is remembered as the greatest mathematician, physicist, engineer, inventor and astronomer of his time. According to the famous anecdote, when Archimedes figured out the physical law of buoyancy (“Archimedes’ principle”) while in his bath, such was his excitement that he forgot to dress and took to the street naked, shouting “eureka”. He pushed the boundaries in a number of fields, primarily in mathematics with his method for accurately approximating the value of π (“Archimedes’ constant”), but also in engineering with his law of the lever and in hydraulics with his major breakthroughs. He is credited with numerous inventions, such as the hydraulic screw pump (known as the Archimedes’ screw) and the compound pulley. He also famously used his ingenuity to help defend his city against the Romans, building a number of innovative defensive devices to destroy their warships. 2 €10 silver coin dedicated to: «GreeK cUltUre — PhilosoPhers — archimedes» Technical specifications: Denomination: €10 Diameter: 40 mm Weight: 34.10 gr Edge: plain Metal: silver 92.5% (Ag) Packaging: coin box with certificate of authenticity Maximum issue: 1,500 pieces Minting quality: proof Price: €52.85 plus V.A.T. Coin designed by: G. Stamatopoulos Launch of sales: 31/03/2015 3 €10 silver coin dedicated to: «GreeK cUltUre — ancient comedy — aristoPhanes» ARISTOPHANES (c. 445-386 BC) Aristophanes was the greatest Greek comic playwright of the 5th century BC and eleven of his comedies have survived complete. Comedy in the days of Aristophanes, flourishing in a context of free speech in democratic Athens, was strongly political. In his works, Aristophanes criticised the failings of his city, speaking out against the war (Acharnians, Peace, Lysistrata) and deriding his fellow citizens for their flaws (Wasps, Birds). He also caricatured prominent figures of his time (Socrates in Clouds, Euripides in Thesmophoriazusae and Cleon in Knights) and even reflected on a poet’s role in society (Frogs). The works of Aristophanes, bold, caustic and yet remarkably discerning, ring true to this day, as shown by the frequent stagings of his plays by contemporary theatre companies. 4 €10 silver coin dedicated to: «GreeK cUltUre — ancient comedy — aristoPhanes» Technical specifications: Denomination: €10 Diameter: 40 mm Weight: 34.10 gr Edge: plain Metal: silver 92.5% (Ag) Packaging: coin box with certificate of authenticity Maximum issue: 1,500 pieces Minting quality: proof Price: €52.85 plus V.A.T. Coin designed by: G. Stamatopoulos Launch of sales: 22/06/2015 5 €6 (mini) silver coin dedicated to: «2015 — international year oF liGht and liGht-Based technoloGies» INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF LIGHT AND LIGHT-BASED TECHNOLOGIES By decision of the General Assembly of the United Nations, 2015 has been proclaimed “International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies”. Advances in the science and technology of light, from everyday applications in lighting and energy to laser devices, digital sensors and fibre optics, are vital for medicine, information and communications, agriculture, astronomy, archaeology, art and culture, as well as many other aspects of human life. 2015 coincides with the anniversaries of a series of important milestones in the history of the science of light, including the electromagnetic theory of light propagation proposed by Maxwell in 1865 and Einstein’s theory of the photoelectric effect in 1905. 6 €6 (mini) silver coin dedicated to: «2015 — international year oF liGht and liGht-Based technoloGies» Technical specifications: Denomination: €6 Diameter: 28.50 mm Weight: 10 gr Edge: plain Metal: silver 92.5% (Ag) Packaging: coin box with certificate of authenticity Maximum issue: 1,000 pieces Minting quality: proof Price: €32.50 plus V.A.T. Coin designed by: M. Antonatou Launch of sales: 22/09/2015 7 Blister PacK dedicated to: «GreeK toUrism — ePirUs» containinG a set oF all eiGht denominations oF GreeK eUro coins EPIRUS Epirus, the north-westernmost region of Greece, is flanked to the west by the Ionian Sea and to the east by the Pindos mountain range. For the ancient Greeks, Epirus had great religious importance on account of the Dodona Oracle. Milestones in the region’s later history include the Hellenistic kingdom of Pyrrhus and the late-Byzantine Despotate of Epirus, while during Ottoman rule Epirus was associated with the Greek struggle for freedom, with sites of heroic self-sacrifice at Koungi and Zalongo. After Greek independence, several Epirote benefactors (Arsakis, Tositsas, Zappas, Sinas, Averof) contributed generously to the construction of the newly founded Greek state, which Epirus became part of in two phases (the Arta district was ceded to Greece in 1881 and the rest of Epirus after the Balkan Wars of 1912-13). It was in the Epirus highlands that the Greek army waged its epic battles against the Italian invader in 1940-41. Today Epirus attracts visitors for its stunning natural scenery (Vikos gorge), seaside resorts (Parga, Syvota), traditional settlements (Ioannina, Metsovo, Zagorochoria) and rich folk tradition in music, silver and gold craftsmanship and stone masonry. 8 Blister PacK dedicated to: «GreeK toUrism — ePirUs» containinG a set oF all eiGht denominations oF GreeK eUro coins Technical specifications: Packaging: blister set Maximum issue: 15,000 pieces Minting quality: brilliant uncirculated Price: €13.01 plus V.A.T. Packaging designed by: A. Michelioudaki Launch of sales: 22/06/2015 9 Blister set with €5 collector coin commemoratinG «100 years From the Birth oF vassilis tsitsanis» VASSILIS TSITSANIS (1915-1984) Vassilis Tsitsanis, a leading composer, songwriter, bouzouki virtuoso and singer, was born in Trikala in 1915. He was to become one of the greatest representatives of a style of Greek popular song known as laïko. With hundreds of songs to his credit, he gained popularity throughout Greece thanks to his recordings and to memorable performances at music taverns like Harama in Kaisariani, where he never failed to enthrall his audience with “magical nights”, the title of one of his more famous songs. Tsitsanis brought the laïko song style, associated till then with urban outcasts, into the mainstream, innovating its form and interpretation. He also elevated the previously banned bouzouki to a prominent position within the laïko band, combining it with western European instruments such as the accordion. In 1980, on an initiative of UNESCO, a double album entitled “Harama” was released, featuring a collection of his classics and solo bouzouki improvisations. The French edition of the album earned Tsitsanis a posthumous award from the Charles Cros Music Academy in 1985. The songs of Tsitsanis have appealed to generations of Greeks for their genuine expression of the suffering and aspirations of the common people. As Tsitsanis himself said, “I put what I feel into words and music, and give it life and wings with my bouzouki and baglamas. The lyrics and notes are the expressions of my soul. They are my very life, the life of all people with its sorrows and joys.” 10