The owl of Athena became the common obverse of the Athenian tetradrachms after 520 BCE.
The owl was used by other Greek cities as well. In 480 BCE, in the Battle of Salamis, the Athenians saw owls flying above them. They considered this event as a blessing from Goddess Athena Herself, since the owl is Her sacred animal. The Greeks emerged triumphant from the Battle, and from then on, they depicted an owl with open wings on the decadrachms.
Coins with the owl of Athena were minted almost all over the Hellenistic country after Alexander's era; dozens of different cuts over the centuries in silver,gold and, much later, in nickel from the modern Greek State.
In 2002, and Greece changed its currency and entered the eurozone. The owl is depicted on the Greek 1-euro coin, continuing thus its presence in the European continent. The sacred animal of Goddess Athena has also become a timeless symbol of Greek monetary history throughout eras and countries, which hasn't lost its appeal for the past 2,500 years.
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