Cyprus 5 mils 1963 - Ancient galley

The coin's story

On 16 August 1960, Cyprus became an independent republic, after more than 80 years of British administration. It kept the Cyprus pound divided into 1,000 mils, adopted in 1955. Its own coins appeared in 1963: they bear the arms of the new state and the name of the country in its two official languages, Greek and Turkish. The arms show a dove holding an olive branch, a symbol of peace, with the year of independence. The reverse of the 5 mils coin shows an ancient galley, a reminder of the maritime past of the island. Both sides were engraved by William Maving Gardner, who had already engraved the reverses of the 1955 colonial series. In 1963, the Royal Mint struck 12,000,000 pieces, plus 25,000 proofs, and the coin continued to be struck until 1980.