Greece 20 Drachmai 1994

The 1994 20 Drachmai coin was one of the last issued before Greece abandoned its currency for the euro, a quiet nod to an era's end without any fanfare. Its obverse shows the goddess Athena in a classical profile, struck from copper-nickel alloy on a standard flan.

The reverse features the Greek coat of arms, a phoenix rising from ashes, which had been a staple design since 1986. Mintage figures for this year aren't precisely recorded, as Greek mint records from the 1990s are spotty.

That's it—a straightforward piece from a transitional time. If you squint, the phoenix looks like it's already packing for the move to Brussels.