Greece Returns Smuggled Ancient Coins to Turkey

ATHENS, GREECE—Greece repatriated more than 1,000 ancient coins to Turkey at a ceremony in Athens attended by Greece’s Culture Minister Lina Mendoni and Turkey’s Culture Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, according to an eKathimerini report. The illegally excavated coins, including silver staters and tetradrachms, were seized by customs officials at the Kipi border crossing between the two countries in 2019. Independent studies conducted by Greek and Turkish authorities determined that the coins came from Turkey, resulting in the first repatriation of artifacts between the nations. “Our two countries should jointly combat smuggling and have close ties,” Ersoy said. To read about the search for one of the most important sanctuaries in the ancient Greek world, go to "Hunting for the Lost Temple of Artemis."