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A 2 euro commemorative coin of the Hellenic Republic, issued in 2020 in a circulation of 687,500 copies. Dedicated to the 2500th anniversary of the Battle of Thermopylae. The author of the design is Georgios Stamatopoulos. Bimetallic, diameter 25.75 mm, weight 8.5 g.
Overse
In the center of the coin is depicted the iconic Corinthian helmet of the Spartan king Leonidas - one of the most famous symbols of the Battle of Thermopylae and ancient Sparta. Around the composition, in a circle, there is a Greek inscription: "2500 ΧΡΟΝΙΑ ΜΑΧΗ ΤΟΝ ΘΕΡΜΟΠΥΛΩΝ" (2500 years since the Battle of Thermopylae) and "ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΔΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑ 480 π.Χ. — 2020” (Hellenic Republic, 480 BC — 2020). Greek mint mark (palmette). Author’s initials “ΣΤΑΜ”. On the outer ring — 12 stars of the European Union.
Reverse
The reverse is the common side of the 2 euro coins of the second type, designed by Luc Luix. It depicts a map of Europe as a single continent without internal borders. On the left — a large denomination “2” and the inscription “EURO”, on the right — a map. On the outer ring — 12 stars of the EU.
Historical context
The Battle of Thermopylae took place in August or September 480 BC during the second Persian invasion of Greece — part of the Greco-Persian Wars. The allied Greek army of about 7,000 soldiers under the command of the Spartan king Leonidas I faced the huge army of the Persian king Xerxes I (according to Herodotus - 1.7 million, according to modern estimates - 100-150 thousand). The battle took place in the mountain pass of Thermopylae ("Hot Gate") - a narrow place on the Greek coast leading to central Greece. For three days, the Greeks successfully held the pass, inflicting significant losses on the Persians. On the third day, a local resident Ephialtes betrayed the Greeks, showing the Persians a bypass route. Leonidas dismissed most of the troops, and he himself was left with 300 Spartans, 700 Thespians and 400 Thebans. They all died. Despite the defeat, Thermopylae became a symbol of heroism and self-sacrifice, a "moral victory" that inspired the Greeks to further victories at Salamis and Plataea, which stopped the Persian invasion.