The coin marks the 150th anniversary of the arson of the Arkadi Monastery. The original title of the coin was "150 Years of the Holocaust in the Monastery of Arkadi" (which is the way the event is referred to in Greece), but was later changed.
The monastery played an active role in the Cretan resistance of Ottoman rule during the Cretan revolt of 1866. 943 Greeks, mostly women and children, sought refuge in the monastery. After three days of battle and under orders from the hegumen (abbot) of the monastery, the Cretans blew up barrels of gunpowder, choosing to sacrifice themselves rather than surrender. The monastery became a national sanctuary in honor of the Cretan resistance. The explosion did not end the Cretan insurrection, but instead attracted the attention of the rest of the world.
The motif reproduces the Arkadi Monastery and inscribed in the center is the legend 'MONASTERY OF ARKADI'. Along the inner edge and to the left 'HELENIC REPUBLIC', in Greek, while in the upper right corner is the year of issuance "2016". Below the central inscription the Anthemion flower, the mint mark of the Greek Mint and at the bottom the mintmark of the designer. |
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Diameter - 25.75mm
Thickness - 2.2mm
Weight - 8.5gr
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| Edge lettering (Hellenic Republic), fine milled |