The Antikythera mechanism was recovered from a sunken ship found in 1900 off the island of Antikythera. This complex device, built in Hellenistic times, was used for astronomical calculations and has been called the oldest analogue of a computer. More than 30 bronze gears rotated the hands on different dials. Thus, manually selecting the date on the main dial, which represented the zodiacal, solar, and lunar years, displaced the smaller gears. The arrows on other dials indicated the position of the chosen date in the four-year cycle of the Panhellenic Games (Olympia, Pythia, Isthmia, Nemea), the position of the five planets then known, and the correlation with astronomical cycles. The mechanism also predicted solar and lunar eclipses. Research into the mechanism is still ongoing as part of the Antikythera Mechanism Research Project, which, using advanced imaging technologies, continues to yield new impressive results from the mechanism’s complex inner workings.

Denomination: 10 euro

Metal: Silver 925

Weight: 34.1g

Diameter: 40mm

Quality: PROOF

Circulation: 2000

Packing: capsule, box

A certificate of authenticity is included.