Folk painter's Theophilos Hatzimihail painting "Greece Reborn" is depicted on the "FORERUNNER ," the commemorative medal which launches the Numismatic Programme of the Committee "Greece 2021" regarding the bicentennial of the Revolution of 1821.
The painting by Theophilos is painted on cardboard and dates from 1911. It is based on an earlier lithograph (c.1840) and depicts Greece as "ancient" in a long red cloak standing among ancient ruins but also as "Christian" since everything is taking place under the "all-seeing eye" of God while the angels are praising. Two emblematic figures of the pre-Revolution Hellenism are supporting Greece: Adamantios Korais and Rigas Velestinlis. The imaginary co-existence of the two men, captured by the popular expression, is not so much owed to the resemblance of their ideas as to the acknowledgment that the intellectual processes that preceded the Revolution played a vital role in the "rebirth" of Greece. A rebirth portrayed in the painting as the phoenix, the mythical bird that is being reborn from its ashes.
FORERUNNER
In Greece, it is the first time that such a technique is used to create a commemorative medal. The coin is composed of 3 parts, which are connected with a blue polymeric ring. On one side, we see the painting by Theophilos. The engraving dexterity of the National Mint artists is self-evident: it managed to transfer in such a small area the amazing details of the original, even the facial expressions and the posture of the figures.
On the other side, is depicted the logo of the Committee "Greece 2021," the title of the celebration "200 Years after the Revolution" and the logo of the Mint (IETA.) Finally, along the medal's perimeter, the two dates, 1821 – 2021, are engraved, joined by two branches of laurel. FORERUNNER is placed in a specially designed luxury case "blister" in a diptych, which is printed with part of Theophilos' painting, and a text, in Greek and English, with details that describe the symbolism of the representations.
Golden Sponsor of the Numismatic Programme of the Committee "Greece 2021" is the Bank of Greece. Its sponsorship, besides the financial recourses that will cover the production cost, also includes making available its outstanding coin production mechanism. This mechanism is world-famous and has been awarded many prizes for the coins that have been created.
The exclusive distributor of FORERUNNER is the National Bank of Greece. Its participation in the program is also highly symbolic since the National is the first bank of the Greek State (established in 1841) with Georgios Stavros as its first director.