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Sunday, August 30, 2009

Cypriot Pound

Before the introduction of the Euro, the Pound was the currency of Cyprus. Coins were minted starting from 1 cent upto 50 cent. One pound coin was not minted for circulation.


2 cent, 1983
Metal: nickel-brass
Diameter: 19mm
Reverse: stylized goats

10 cent, 1983cyprus 10 centMetal: nickel-brass
Reverse: decorative vase


20 cent, 1994cyprus 20 centMetal: nickel-brass
Diameter: 27mm
Weight: 7.75gm
Reverse: Zamon D. Keteus


50 cents, 2002cyprus 50 centSubject: Abduction of Europa
Reverse: Princess Europa riding bull(Zeus)
Metal: copper-nickel
Diameter: 26mm

Europa (Greek Ευρωπη) was a Levantine woman in Greek mythology, from whom the name of the continent Europe was ultimately taken. There were two competing myths relating how Europa came into the Greek world: in the more familiar one she was seduced by the god Zeus in the form of a bull and carried away to Crete on his back, but according to Herodotus she was kidnapped by Minoans, who likewise were said to have taken her to Crete. The mythical Europa cannot be separated from the mythology of the sacred bull, which had been worshipped in the Levant. The etymology of her name (ευρυ- "wide" or "broad" + οπ- "eye(s)" or "face") suggests that Europa represented a cow, at least at some symbolic level.

The painter Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn created an artwork tilted the Abduction of Europa, which represents the ancient Roman poet Ovids story about the god Jupiter seducing a princess called Europa. This Roman tale was known as The Abduction of Europa and also known as The Seduction of Europa, substituting the god Jupiter for Zeus. Edith Hamilton's Mythology says Zeus, the son of Cronus, overthrew his father to free his five siblings and rule the gods. He is the most powerful of all the gods. Yet he is not invincible. According to Ovid's The Metamorphosis Zeus's father Cronus calls his son aside and asks him 'Son, faithful worker of my commands, go, quickly in your usual way, fly down to where, in an eastern land, they observe your mother's star, among the Pleiads. There drive the group of royal cattle, that you will see some distance off, browsing the mountain grass, towards the sea shore!' Zeus immediately leaves and takes the shape of a bull, a bull that was snow white. His eyes were unthreatening. Europa dared to sit on the bull's back. The god slowly moved from offshore to the shoreline and gradually goes further out to sea. Europa became the first queen of Crete, and she gives birth to a hero, King Minos of Crete.

The Greek 2 Euro also shows Zeus and Europa.

Each coin has the coat of arms on the reverse and the name of the country is written in three different languages- English, Greek and Turkish.

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