CYPRUS. Republic. 1960-present. 100 Pounds 2000 (Gold, 48x24 mm, 30.00 g, 12 h), on the Third Millenium. By S. Karamallakis. Llantrisant. ΚΥΠΡΟΣ / KIBRIS / CYPRUS Coat of arms, below £ 100. Rev. ΧΙΛΙΕΤΙΑ / 2000 / MILLENNIUM in three lines. Fitikides 248. Friedberg 11. KM 74. Extremely rare, mintage of only 750 pieces. In original case of issue and with certificate of authenticity. Proof.

Issued to mark the advent of the Third Millennium, this remarkable gold coin deliberately revives the form of the ancient Cypriot oxhide ingot, or ‘talent’. Such ingots, with their characteristic concave sides and projecting corners, were used to transport the copper that formed the backbone of Cyprus’s economy and international trade during the Late Bronze Age. With a mintage of only 750 pieces, the £100 issue is an extremely rare and visually distinctive product of modern Cypriot numismatics.