Republic of Greece, 10 Lepta 1973

The phoenix rising from the flames on the obverse of this coin stands for something that was already lost and now starts all over again in new splendor. It was the heraldic animal of Greece during the First Hellenic Republic from 1828-1832. The reverse shows a trident between two dolphins. They are symbols for Poseidon, the god of earthquakes and the sea. On ancient Greek coins Poseidon is usually shown bearded and naked with his trident, dolphins or the bow of a galley.