5 Euro Mediterranean monk seal

The Mediterranean monk seal (*Monachus monachus*) is one of the world's most endangered pinnipeds, with the global population estimated at fewer than 800 individuals — roughly half of them in Greek waters. Greece issued this piece under its ongoing Europa Star programme commitment to conservation themes, a series that has drawn consistent collector interest since the mid-2010s. The .333 fineness places it at the lower boundary of silver coinage, a deliberate cost-control measure that keeps face value viable for circulation while retaining the technical classification of billon.