500 drachmas 2500th Anniversary of Democracy 1993 Proof

Greek collectible gold proof coin with a face value of 50 euros, for the Cultural Heritage of Cycladic Culture, maximum number of 1,000 pieces, Bank of Greece mint, issued in 2014. The Cycladic Civilisation is the earliest important civilisation to emerge during the Bronze Age in Greece, with remarkable achievements dating as far back as 3200 B.C. The Cyclades inhabitants soon organised themselves into thriving settlements that benefited from sea trade and the abundance of valuable raw materials such as obsidian (Milos) and marble (Paros). The austere landscape of the small Cycladic islands gave rise to a civilisation characterised by abstraction and stark simplicity. The numerous archaeological artefacts unearthed on the islands include the world-famous Cycladic figurines, which influenced modern art. The Cycladic Civilisation influenced the Minoan Civilisation in its early phase and contributed to the cultural flourishing of Crete and Mycenaean Greece in the Bronze Age. The prehistoric city of Akrotiri on the island of Santorini, perfectly preserved for having been buried for thousands of years under volcanic ash, provides a window into Cycladic Civilisation in its later phase.