Cyprus 3 mils 1955 - Flying fish

The coin's story

From 1878 to 1960, Cyprus was administered by the United Kingdom, as a Crown colony from 1925. Until 1955, its currency was counted in piastres inherited from the Ottoman Empire: 180 piastres made one Cyprus pound. In 1955, the island adopted the decimal system: the pound was now divided into 1,000 mils, and a new series of coins from 3 to 100 mils was put into circulation. The reverse of the 3 mils coin shows a flying fish in the style of archaic Greek art, engraved by William Maving Gardner. The obverse bears the crowned portrait of the young Queen Elizabeth II, engraved by Cecil Thomas. The Royal Mint in London struck 6,250,000 pieces in 1955, as well as 2,000 proof pieces. The coin was struck in this single year only and is no longer legal tender.