MACEDONIA

Greece’s largest territorial expansion came after the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913, with the incorporation of Macedonia and the Eastern Aegean islands. Prior to the Balkan Wars, Macedonia, still under Ottoman rule, had become an apple of discord between Greece and Bulgaria. This sparked the Struggle for Macedonia, with Greek and Bulgarian guerilla groups fighting for control of the disputed areas and vying for the national allegiance of their inhabitants. The coin portrays Pavlos Melas (1870-1904), an officer of the Greek Army and hero of the Greek Struggle for Macedonia, who assumed command of the Greek guerilla bands in the Kastoria-Monastiri region. His heroic death in a clash with an Ottoman army unit made him a symbol of the Greek Struggle for Macedonia and inspired many Greeks to follow his example.