Cyprus – Κύπρος – Kibr

An open competition was launched in 2005 by the Central Bank of Cyprus to select the designs of the Cypriot euro coins, which were to have three different motifs reflecting the country’s specificity with regard to culture, nature and the sea. The winning designs, approved by the Council of Ministers of Cyprus, were jointly created by Tatiana Soteropoulos and Erik Maell.

• The €1 and €2 coins reproduce the idol of Pomos, a cross-shaped idol dating back to the Chalcolitic period (ca. 3000 BC), representing the country’s contribution to civilisation since prehistoric times.
• The 10, 20 and 50-cent coins feature the Kyrenia ship (4th century BC), a Greek merchant ship, the wreck of which is considered to be the oldest from the classical period found to date. It is a symbol of Cyprus’ island nature and its historical importance as a trade hub.
• The 1, 2 and 5-cent coins show the mouflon, a species of wild sheep representative of the island’s wildlife.