The Bank of Greece has issued (2^nd December) two new coins which honor the man who is universally acknowledged as the father of western medicine. Hippocrates of Cos (460–377 B.C.) is remembered as the physician who based the art of healing on rational principles and liberating it from divine intervention and/or superstition. He perceived the human being as a whole entity, and health as resulting from multiple factors, including environmental and dietary ones. The Hippocratic Corpus, a collection of works left by Hippocrates and his students, deals with practically all branches of medicine and systematically records clinical symptoms and treatments, always in line with the principle «to do good, or to do no harm». The Hippocratic Oath remains — all over the world as the guide to medical ethics and practice to this day.

Historians agree that Hippocrates was born around the year 460 BC on the Greek island of Cos to his father Heraclides, a physician, and his mother Praxitela and it is widely believed that Hippocrates learned medicine from his father and grandfather. Aside from studying with his father, Hippocrates was also most likely trained at the Asklepieion or, healing temple of Cos. He soon became a famous ambassador for medicine often defending his findings against the strong opposing infrastructure of Greece. For this opposition he endured a 20 year prison sentence during which time, he wrote well known medical works such as The Complicated Body, encompassing many of the things we know to be true today.

Hippocrates is also credited with categorizing illnesses as acute, chronic, endemic and epidemic, and the use of terms such as, «exacerbation, relapse, resolution, crisis, paroxysm, peak, and convalescence.» Hippocrates taught and practiced medicine throughout his life, traveling at least as far as Thessaly, Thrace and to towns around the Sea of Marmara. Several different accounts of his death exist but it believed that he died most likely in Larissa, at the age of between 83 to 90 — some accounts record that he may well have lived to be over 100.

The two coins, designed by senior Mint artist George Stamatopoulos, — designer of the 2014 COTYaward winner for the most historical coin, includes an exquisitely intricate and detailed profile of Hippocrates facing to the left with the text "ΙΠΠΟΚΡΑΤΗΣ O ΚΩOΣ 460 Π.Χ. — 377 Π.Χ.» positioned to the left side of the coin. The portrait & text is surrounded by a circular border made of a classical «Greek key» motif. To the left of the profile, the year of issue «2013».

The reverse includes a rendition of a frieze of Asclepius, the demi-god who is revered for medicine and healing in ancient Greek religions. Above the primary design is the national crest of Greece along with the text "ΕΛΛΙΝΙΚΗ ΔΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑ" (Hellenic Republic) along the upper edge with the coin's denomination of 10 ΕΥΡΩ or 200 ΕΥΡΩ seen just below the design. The distinctive mintmark of the Greek State Mint is placed just under the year.

For more information on this and other coins offered by the Bank of Greece. Information is offered in English and Greek.