CYPRUS " Cent Coinage " 1983 - 2004, Complete Circulation Issues

Set Description
CYPRUS " The island of Venus "

Cyprus an island praised by poets and writers through the centuries, is blessed with an abundance of natural beauties. Beauty is the legacy of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of beauty and love. It was at Petra tou Romiou, Paphos ( The site is certainly of sublime beauty, with three large rocks protruding above the water in a small bay lined on the east by white cliffs ), where, according to legend, Aphrodite emerged from the foam of the waves and made Cyprus her domain.
As Homer affirms in the Odyssey, " laughter-loving Aphrodite went to Cyprus where is her realm and fragrant altar. "

Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean. This strategic location has been a major factor shaping Cyprus history throughout the centuries.
With history that can be traced back over nine thousand years, Cyprus has assimilated many of the various influences it has received. At the crossroads of three continents and the meeting point of great civilizations, it has developed and maintained a character of its own. The arrival of mainland Greeks three thousand years ago had a profound influence on the culture of the island. Since then, many who coveted the island have passed through, but Cyprus has retained its heritage and way of life.

The importance of Cyprus can be said to date from the Bronze Age, when it was desired as the principal source of copper ( from which the island derived its name ) and as one of the most important trading centers. Because of its strategic position in the Mediterranean and its influential role Cyprus was conquered by a succession of empires : The Assyrian, Egyptian, Persian, Macedonian, Ptolemaic, Roman and Byzantine.It was taken from Isaak Comnenus by Richard the Lion Heart in 1191, sold to the Knights Templar; conquered by Venice and Turkey and eventually became a British colony until August 16,1960 when it became an Independent Republic.

The Cypriot earth in every step yields valuable evidence of its turbulent history. Excavations have brought to light temples, palaces, amphitheaters and the wealth of other antiquities. Just as magnificent are the Byzantine churches and monasteries, the Crusader castles, the Venetian walls and fortifications.

Cyprus is primarily an agricultural economy with potatoes, citrus fruit , wine and pharmaceutical products the main exports. The industry is based on petroleum refining and cement, and tourism playing the most important and increasing role.

Climate

Cyprus enjoys an intense Mediterranean climate, with long dry summers from mid–May to mid–October, and mild winters from December to February, which are separated by short autumn and spring seasons.
Summer is a season of high temperatures with cloudless skies, but the sea breeze creates a pleasant atmosphere in the coastal areas. Isolated thunder showers are possible mainly over the mountains during early afternoons.
Winters are mild with rain and snow on Troodos Mountains (usually starting before Christmas).
The island enjoys abundant sunshine, and even in December and January, there is an average of six hours of bright sunshine per day, whilst over the six ‘summer’ months, there is an average of 11.5 hours of bright sunshine per day.

Temperatures and Weather Conditions

Daily temperatures during the hottest months of July and August range between 30° C on the central plain, and 24° C on the Troodos Mountains. The average maximum temperatures for these two months range between 38° C and 27° C. In January, the coolest month, the indicative daily temperature is 10° C on the central plain, and 3° C on the higher parts of the Troodos Mountains, while the average minimum temperatures are 5° C and 0° C.

Sea Temperatures

The temperature in the open sea hovers above 22° C from June to November, climbing to 27° C in August. Even during the three coolest months of January to March, average sea temperature are an acceptable 16° or 17° C. Near the coast, the temperature of water three or four meters deep is similar to that of the open sea, ranging from 15° to 17°C in February and from 23° to 28° C in August. There are no significant daily fluctuations in sea water temperatures, except in very shallow waters less than one meter deep.

Brief history of money in Cyprus

The history of money in Cyprus began 2500 years ago. The first coin, which was silver, was minted in Cyprus in the 6th century BC.
The historical development of money in Cyprus has followed the sometimes stormy and turbulent course of the island's history. The various conquerors that ruled Cyprus throughout its history introduced their own monetary unit. Hence among other monetary units, the stater, the obol, Roman and Byzantine coins, the gross, the dinar, the cartzi, the para, the piastre and the pound have been used as the island's currency.
In 1960, Cyprus was declared independent and the Republic of Cyprus was established.
in 1963 the " Mil Coinage " was issued by the Central Bank of Cyprus, which comprised five coins in the denominations of 3 mils, 5 mils, 25 mils, 50 mils and 100 mils with the pound divided into 1000 mils.
In 1983 the " Cent Coinage " was introduced to replace the mil. It comprised seven coins in the denominations of 1/2 cent, 1 cent, 2 cent, 5 cent, 10 cent, 20 cent and 50 cent.
The numismatic system remained the same as the Cyprus pound continued to be the Republic's currency, the only difference being its denomination into 100 cent instead of 1000 mils.

On January 1, 2008, Cyprus as a member of the European Union, replaced the Cyprus pound with the Euro, which became the Republic's monetary unit and remained until today.

This complete set includes all 68 dates and denominations of the " Cent Coinage " issued by the Central Bank of Cyprus from 1983 until 2004.

The OBVERSE of the coins depicts the Emblem of the Republic of Cyprus.
The REVERSE of the coins depicts beautiful designs characteristic of Cyprus :
1/2 CENT : The beautiful cyclamen which is a wild flower of the Pentadactylos mountain.
1 CENT : A stylized bird perched on a branch. The design is from a jug of by-chrome ware of the Cyproarchaic period.
2 CENT : Two heraldically arranged goats taken from a shallow bowl of the mid-thirteenth century B.C.
5 CENT : An exhibit to be found in the Cyprus Museum in Nicosia. It is a fourteenth century B.C. silver bowl with a wishbone handle.
10 CENT : A modern clay vase of Phini village, beautifully decorated with flowers and singing birds.
20 CENT : A Pied Wheatear, the characteristic bird of Cyprus, perched on an olive branch, the symbol of peace. ( Dates : 1983, 1985 and 1988 ).
20 CENT : Portrait of Zenon of Kition, founder of the Stoic Philosophy. ( Dates : 1989 - 2004 ).
50 CENT : A composition based on a 4th century B.C. Cypriot coin of the Kingdom of Marion, depicting the abduction of Europe by Zeus who transfigured into a bull. Below the inscription " King Timocharis " in Cyprosyllabic.

REFERENCES :

COINS OF CYPRUS. Cultural Institution of Bank of Cyprus, 2007.
THE COINS OF CYPRUS by A. Fitikides, 2008.

All coins were minted at The Royal Mint and self-submitted raw to NGC for grading. Images beautifully illustrated (high-resolution) by the NGC imaging department.

Set Goals
This set (68 coins), along with the " Mil Coinage " set 1963-1982 (52 coins), completes all the issued coins for circulation by the Central Bank of Cyprus, from independence in 1960, until 2004 when Cyprus became a member of the European Union. A total of 120 coins.
This was actually the goal to create this set despite that the coins were modern, cheap, common and easily accessible.