Culture Ministry: Greece Returns 1,055 Ancient Coins to Türkiye

Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni with Türkiye’s Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy at the Numismatic Museum in Athens. Photo source: Culture Ministry

Greece has returned 1,055 ancient coins to Türkiye, which had been illegally imported into the country in 2019 and immediately confiscated at the border, the Culture Ministry announced on Thursday.

The coins were handed over to Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, during a ceremony at the Numismatic Museum in Athens.

The collection included 61 silver two-drachma coins from cities such as Pamphylia, Cilicia, Ionia, Cyprus, Aegina, and Milos, as well as 994 silver four-drachma coins from Athens, dating from the early to late 5th century B.C.

Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni expressed the country’s satisfaction in repatriating these cultural artifacts.

“For Greece, the return of every cultural item that has been illegally exported brings us great joy and fulfillment,” Mendoni said. “Greece is one of the countries most affected by the theft, looting, and illegal trafficking of its cultural treasures.”

Photo source: Culture Ministry

Minister Mendoni highlighted Greece’s deep sensitivity to matters of repatriation, underscoring the importance of returning stolen artifacts to their rightful origins.

The repatriation of the coins was carried out in accordance with the 1970 UNESCO International Convention, as well as the bilateral “Greek-Turkish Protocol for the Prevention of Illicit Import, Export, Trafficking, and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Goods.” This protocol, signed in 2013, guides the return of illegally trafficked cultural property.

The coins were originally seized at the Greek-Turkish border when a Turkish citizen attempted to import them into Greece. Greek authorities pursued legal action, and the coins were sent to the Numismatic Museum in Athens, where it was determined that they were part of a “treasure hoard” likely hidden in Asia Minor at the end of the 5th or the beginning of the 4th century B.C.

Photo source: Culture Ministry

Minister Mendoni reaffirmed that Greece believes all illegally exported antiquities should be returned to their country of origin and to the people they belong to, as part of their collective identity.

“For this reason, Greece leads international efforts against the illicit trade of antiquities and organized crime, which undermines the historical memory of nations,” the Greek culture minister said.

She also expressed gratitude to Turkish Minister Ersoy for Türkiye’s continued support in Greece’s national request for the reunification of the Parthenon Marbles in Athens.

Additionally, Mendoni praised Türkiye’s representative at UNESCO, Zeynep Boz, for her “catalytic support” during the most recent UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee, where she reinforced Greece’s position.