{"title":"Greece","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"greece-p199-50-drachmai-1978-fvf-sea-god-poseidon-woman-admiral-warship-armer","title":"Greece P199 50 Drachmai 1978 FVF—Sea God Poseidon—Woman Admiral \u0026 Warship Armer","description":"\u003cp\u003eA stunning blue note from Greece's Third Hellenic Republic era, this 50 Drachmai celebrates two of the most iconic figures in Greek history and mythology — the god of the sea and a fearless female naval commander who helped win Greek independence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eFront\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColors:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n    \u003cul\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eBlue dominant engraving on multicolor underprint\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePortrait:\u003c\/strong\u003e Head of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Poseidon\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePoseidon\u003c\/a\u003e, the Ancient Greek god of the sea and storms, at left\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDesign elements:\u003c\/strong\u003e Trident and design of an ancient frieze at bottom-right\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSignatures:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Xenophon_Zolotas\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eXenophon Zolotas\u003c\/a\u003e, Gov.; N. Christofilis, Manager\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEngraver:\u003c\/strong\u003e Lambros Orfanos\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDesigner:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yannis Stinis\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eBack\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColors:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n    \u003cul\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eBlue on multicolor underprint\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eScene:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Laskarina_Bouboulina\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eLaskarina Bouboulina\u003c\/a\u003e, hero of the Greek War of Independence of 1821, ordering her cannons to fire at the fortress of Palamidi\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEngraver:\u003c\/strong\u003e Vassilis Sabatakos\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDesigner:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yannis Stinis\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eOther Characteristics\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVarieties:\u003c\/strong\u003e You may receive any variety:\n    \u003cul\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eP-199a1 — watermark 27mm — this note\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003e\u003cem\u003eP-199a2 — watermark 25mm\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCatalog numbers:\u003c\/strong\u003e P-199a; Numista N#203732\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWatermark:\u003c\/strong\u003e Head of the Charioteer of Delphi\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eComposition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Paper\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 144 × 64 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIssuing entity:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bank_of_Greece\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBank of Greece\u003c\/a\u003e (Τράπεζα της Ελλάδος)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePrinter:\u003c\/strong\u003e Banknote and Currency Printing Office (Ίδρυμα Εκτυπώσεως Τραπεζογραμματίων και Αξιών), Athens\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDemonetized:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Demonetization_(currency)\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDemonetized\u003c\/a\u003e: 2002 (replaced by the Euro)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSignatures:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Xenophon_Zolotas\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eXenophon Zolotas\u003c\/a\u003e, Gov.; N. Christofilis, Manager\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCurrency:\u003c\/strong\u003e Third modern drachma (1954–2001)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe God Who Shook the Earth\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePoseidon — brother of Zeus, ruler of the seas, and one of the most powerful Olympian gods — was no mere deity of water. He was the \u003cstrong\u003eEarth-Shaker\u003c\/strong\u003e, credited with causing earthquakes, storms, and shipwrecks with a single strike of his \u003cstrong\u003etrident\u003c\/strong\u003e. For the ancient Greeks, who depended on the sea for trade, war, and survival, Poseidon was both a protector and a terror. His temple at \u003cstrong\u003eCape Sounion\u003c\/strong\u003e, perched dramatically on a cliff overlooking the Aegean, still stands today — a reminder of how central he was to Greek identity. The head depicted on this note is modeled after the famous \u003cstrong\u003eBronze Statue of Poseidon\u003c\/strong\u003e (or Zeus) recovered from the sea off Cape Artemision, dating to around \u003cstrong\u003e460 BC\u003c\/strong\u003e and now housed in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Woman Who Commanded a Fleet\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLaskarina Bouboulina\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cstrong\u003e1771–1825\u003c\/strong\u003e) was one of the most extraordinary figures of the Greek War of Independence — a wealthy widow from \u003cstrong\u003eSpetses\u003c\/strong\u003e who used her own fortune to build and arm a fleet of warships. She commanded her flagship, the \u003cstrong\u003eAgamemnon\u003c\/strong\u003e, personally, leading naval blockades against Ottoman forces. The scene on the reverse captures her at the \u003cstrong\u003esiege of Nafplio\u003c\/strong\u003e, directing cannon fire at the fortress of \u003cstrong\u003ePalamidi\u003c\/strong\u003e — a moment that became legendary in Greek national memory. She was posthumously honored as an \u003cstrong\u003eAdmiral\u003c\/strong\u003e of the Russian Imperial Navy, the only woman ever to hold that rank. She was assassinated in \u003cstrong\u003e1825\u003c\/strong\u003e, shot through a window during a family dispute — a dramatic end to a dramatic life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout Greece\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e \"Greece\" derives from the Latin \u003cem\u003eGraecia\u003c\/em\u003e, the Roman name for the region; Greeks call their country \u003cstrong\u003eHellas\u003c\/strong\u003e (Ελλάδα), from \u003cem\u003eHellen\u003c\/em\u003e, the mythological ancestor of the Greek people\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCapital:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Athens\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAthens\u003c\/a\u003e — city pop. ~665,000; metro pop. ~3.6 million\n    \u003cul\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e Named after \u003cstrong\u003eAthena\u003c\/strong\u003e, goddess of wisdom, who won a contest with Poseidon for patronage of the city by gifting an olive tree\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePopulation:\u003c\/strong\u003e ~10.4 million (UN 2023) — comparable to Michigan or Portugal\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArea:\u003c\/strong\u003e 131,957 km² \/ 50,949 mi² — comparable to Alabama or England\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGDP per capita at \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Purchasing_power_parity\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePPP\u003c\/a\u003e:\u003c\/strong\u003e ~$40,000 (IMF 2024)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMain exports:\u003c\/strong\u003e Petroleum products, aluminum, pharmaceuticals, olive oil, cotton, fruits\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBorders:\u003c\/strong\u003e Albania, North Macedonia, Bulgaria (north); Turkey (northeast); surrounded by the Aegean, Ionian, and Mediterranean seas\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOfficial\/spoken languages:\u003c\/strong\u003e Greek\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEthnicities:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Greeks\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGreek\u003c\/a\u003e (~91%), \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Albanians_in_Greece\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAlbanian\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Romani_people_in_Greece\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eRoma\u003c\/a\u003e, and others\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMemberships:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_Nations\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eUnited Nations\u003c\/a\u003e (founding member, 1945); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/NATO\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNATO\u003c\/a\u003e (1952); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/European_Union\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eEuropean Union\u003c\/a\u003e (1981); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Council_of_Europe\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCouncil of Europe\u003c\/a\u003e (founding member, 1949)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSovereignty:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ancient city-states → Macedonian Empire → Roman\/Byzantine rule → Ottoman Empire (1453–1821) → Greek War of Independence (1821–1829) → Kingdom of Greece (1832–1974) → Third Hellenic Republic (1974–date)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eGreece Unfiltered\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCradle of democracy:\u003c\/strong\u003e Athens introduced the world's first democratic system around \u003cstrong\u003e508 BC\u003c\/strong\u003e under Cleisthenes — though only free male citizens could vote\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDebt crisis:\u003c\/strong\u003e Greece triggered the \u003cstrong\u003e2010 European sovereign debt crisis\u003c\/strong\u003e, receiving the largest financial bailout in history at the time (~€289 billion), and endured a decade of brutal austerity\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIslands:\u003c\/strong\u003e Greece has over \u003cstrong\u003e6,000 islands\u003c\/strong\u003e, of which only about 227 are inhabited — making it one of the most island-rich countries on Earth\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAncient legacy:\u003c\/strong\u003e The \u003cstrong\u003eOlympic Games\u003c\/strong\u003e originated in Olympia, Greece, in \u003cstrong\u003e776 BC\u003c\/strong\u003e — held every four years for over a millennium before being banned by the Roman Emperor Theodosius I in 393 AD\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eShipping power:\u003c\/strong\u003e Greece controls the \u003cstrong\u003elargest merchant shipping fleet\u003c\/strong\u003e in the world by tonnage — a modern echo of its ancient maritime dominance\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBrain drain:\u003c\/strong\u003e Since the 2010 debt crisis, an estimated \u003cstrong\u003e500,000 Greeks\u003c\/strong\u003e — many of them young and educated — emigrated, one of the largest brain drains in modern European history\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMythology everywhere:\u003c\/strong\u003e Over \u003cstrong\u003e40% of English words\u003c\/strong\u003e have Greek roots — from \"democracy\" to \"telephone\" to \"galaxy\"\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOwn this crisp UNC 50 Drachmai and hold two legends in your hands — the god who ruled the seas and the woman who commanded them. A beautiful blue note from a civilization that gave the world its foundations.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"World Money Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52633925353783,"sku":"GR199aFVF","price":0.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0969\/7165\/3431\/files\/199-fvf-or.png?v=1783468787"},{"product_id":"greece-p200-100-drachmai-1978-fvf-athena-scholar-monastery","title":"Greece P200 100 Drachmai 1978 FVF—Wise Athena—Maker of Modern Greek—Hero Monks","description":"\u003cp\u003eA richly colored brown and violet note pairing two pillars of Greek civilization — the goddess of wisdom who gave Athens her name, and the scholar who gave modern Greece its intellectual backbone — alongside one of the most dramatic episodes of Cretan resistance in history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eFront\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColors:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n    \u003cul\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eBrown and violet on multicolor underprint\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePortrait:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Athena_of_Piraeus\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAthena of Piraeus\u003c\/a\u003e at left — a famous bronze statue of the goddess of wisdom, discovered in Piraeus in 1959\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBuilding:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/National_and_Kapodistrian_University_of_Athens\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eUniversity of Athens\u003c\/a\u003e at right\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSignatures:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Xenophon_Zolotas\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eXenophon Zolotas\u003c\/a\u003e, Gov.; N. Christofilis, Manager\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEngraver:\u003c\/strong\u003e Lambros Orfanos\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDesigner:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yannis Stinis\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eBack\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColors:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n    \u003cul\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eMaroon, green, and orange\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePortrait:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Adamantios_Korais\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAdamantios Korais\u003c\/a\u003e at left — the father of Modern Greek literature and language reform\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBuilding:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Arkadi_Monastery\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eArkadi Monastery\u003c\/a\u003e (Crete) at bottom right — site of the 1866 explosion where Cretan rebels chose death over Ottoman surrender\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEngraver:\u003c\/strong\u003e Georgios Angelopoulos\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDesigner:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yannis Stinis\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eOther Characteristics\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVarieties:\u003c\/strong\u003e You may receive any variety:\n    \u003cul\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eP-200a — original issue, without \"Λ\" at lower left on back (engraved reverse)\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eP-200b — with \"Λ\" at lower left on back (lithography reverse)\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCatalog numbers:\u003c\/strong\u003e P-200; Numista N#204416\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWatermark:\u003c\/strong\u003e Head of the Charioteer, Polyzalos of Delphi\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eComposition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Paper\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 158 × 67 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIssuing entity:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bank_of_Greece\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBank of Greece\u003c\/a\u003e (Τράπεζα της Ελλάδος)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePrinter:\u003c\/strong\u003e Banknote and Currency Printing Office (Ίδρυμα Εκτυπώσεως Τραπεζογραμματίων και Αξιών), Athens\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDemonetized:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Demonetization_(currency)\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDemonetized\u003c\/a\u003e: 2002 (replaced by the Euro)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSignatures:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Xenophon_Zolotas\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eXenophon Zolotas\u003c\/a\u003e, Gov.; N. Christofilis, Manager\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCurrency:\u003c\/strong\u003e Third modern drachma (1954–2001)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Goddess Who Named a City\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Athena\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAthena\u003c\/a\u003e, goddess of wisdom, warfare, and crafts, is one of the most enduring figures in all of mythology. According to legend, she won patronage of Athens by gifting the city an \u003cstrong\u003eolive tree\u003c\/strong\u003e — besting Poseidon, who offered only a saltwater spring. The statue depicted on this note, the \u003cstrong\u003eAthena of Piraeus\u003c\/strong\u003e, is a stunning \u003cstrong\u003e4th-century BC\u003c\/strong\u003e bronze discovered accidentally in \u003cstrong\u003e1959\u003c\/strong\u003e during construction work in Piraeus harbor — buried for centuries, perfectly preserved. She stands nearly 2.4 meters tall and is considered one of the finest surviving examples of ancient Greek bronze sculpture. The \u003cstrong\u003eUniversity of Athens\u003c\/strong\u003e on the right, founded in \u003cstrong\u003e1837\u003c\/strong\u003e, was the first university in the modern Greek state and the first in the entire Balkan and Eastern Mediterranean region.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Man Who Rebuilt the Greek Language\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAdamantios Korais\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cstrong\u003e1748–1833\u003c\/strong\u003e) spent most of his life in \u003cstrong\u003eParis\u003c\/strong\u003e, yet he may have done more for Greek national identity than anyone who stayed home. A physician by training and a philologist by passion, he dedicated decades to purifying and standardizing the Greek language — creating \u003cem\u003eKatharevousa\u003c\/em\u003e, a reformed literary Greek that bridged ancient and modern forms. His \u003cstrong\u003eAdamantios Library\u003c\/strong\u003e project produced critical editions of ancient Greek texts that fueled the intellectual fire of the Greek independence movement. He corresponded with \u003cstrong\u003eThomas Jefferson\u003c\/strong\u003e and was celebrated across Europe as a symbol of Greek enlightenment. He never returned to Greece — dying in Paris at \u003cstrong\u003e84\u003c\/strong\u003e — but his influence on modern Greek identity is incalculable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Monastery That Chose Death Over Surrender\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eArkadi Monastery\u003c\/strong\u003e in Crete became a symbol of ultimate resistance on \u003cstrong\u003eNovember 9, 1866\u003c\/strong\u003e. Surrounded by Ottoman forces vastly outnumbering the Cretan rebels and civilians sheltering inside, the abbot \u003cstrong\u003eGabriel Marinakis\u003c\/strong\u003e made a fateful decision: rather than surrender, he ordered the powder magazine ignited. The explosion killed hundreds — rebels, civilians, women, children, and Ottoman soldiers alike. The event shocked Europe and galvanized international support for Cretan independence. The monastery still stands today as a \u003cstrong\u003enational shrine\u003c\/strong\u003e, and November 9 is commemorated annually in Crete.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout Greece\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e \"Greece\" derives from the Latin \u003cem\u003eGraecia\u003c\/em\u003e, the Roman name for the region; Greeks call their country \u003cstrong\u003eHellas\u003c\/strong\u003e (Ελλάδα), from \u003cem\u003eHellen\u003c\/em\u003e, the mythological ancestor of the Greek people\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCapital:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Athens\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAthens\u003c\/a\u003e — city pop. ~665,000; metro pop. ~3.6 million\n    \u003cul\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e Named after \u003cstrong\u003eAthena\u003c\/strong\u003e, goddess of wisdom, who won a contest with Poseidon for patronage of the city by gifting an olive tree\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePopulation:\u003c\/strong\u003e ~10.4 million (UN 2023) — comparable to Michigan or Portugal\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArea:\u003c\/strong\u003e 131,957 km² \/ 50,949 mi² — comparable to Alabama or England\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGDP per capita at \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Purchasing_power_parity\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePPP\u003c\/a\u003e:\u003c\/strong\u003e ~$40,000 (IMF 2024)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMain exports:\u003c\/strong\u003e Petroleum products, aluminum, pharmaceuticals, olive oil, cotton, fruits\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBorders:\u003c\/strong\u003e Albania, North Macedonia, Bulgaria (north); Turkey (northeast); surrounded by the Aegean, Ionian, and Mediterranean seas\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOfficial\/spoken languages:\u003c\/strong\u003e Greek\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEthnicities:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Greeks\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGreek\u003c\/a\u003e (~91%), \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Albanians_in_Greece\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAlbanian\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Romani_people_in_Greece\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eRoma\u003c\/a\u003e, and others\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMemberships:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_Nations\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eUnited Nations\u003c\/a\u003e (founding member, 1945); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/NATO\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNATO\u003c\/a\u003e (1952); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/European_Union\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eEuropean Union\u003c\/a\u003e (1981); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Council_of_Europe\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCouncil of Europe\u003c\/a\u003e (founding member, 1949)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSovereignty:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ancient city-states → Macedonian Empire → Roman\/Byzantine rule → Ottoman Empire (1453–1821) → Greek War of Independence (1821–1829) → Kingdom of Greece (1832–1974) → Third Hellenic Republic (1974–date)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eGreece Unfiltered\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCradle of democracy:\u003c\/strong\u003e Athens introduced the world's first democratic system around \u003cstrong\u003e508 BC\u003c\/strong\u003e under Cleisthenes — though only free male citizens could vote\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDebt crisis:\u003c\/strong\u003e Greece triggered the \u003cstrong\u003e2010 European sovereign debt crisis\u003c\/strong\u003e, receiving the largest financial bailout in history at the time (~€289 billion), and endured a decade of brutal austerity\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIslands:\u003c\/strong\u003e Greece has over \u003cstrong\u003e6,000 islands\u003c\/strong\u003e, of which only about 227 are inhabited — making it one of the most island-rich countries on Earth\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAncient legacy:\u003c\/strong\u003e The \u003cstrong\u003eOlympic Games\u003c\/strong\u003e originated in Olympia, Greece, in \u003cstrong\u003e776 BC\u003c\/strong\u003e — held every four years for over a millennium before being banned by the Roman Emperor Theodosius I in 393 AD\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eShipping power:\u003c\/strong\u003e Greece controls the \u003cstrong\u003elargest merchant shipping fleet\u003c\/strong\u003e in the world by tonnage — a modern echo of its ancient maritime dominance\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBrain drain:\u003c\/strong\u003e Since the 2010 debt crisis, an estimated \u003cstrong\u003e500,000 Greeks\u003c\/strong\u003e — many of them young and educated — emigrated, one of the largest brain drains in modern European history\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMythology everywhere:\u003c\/strong\u003e Over \u003cstrong\u003e40% of English words\u003c\/strong\u003e have Greek roots — from \"democracy\" to \"telephone\" to \"galaxy\"\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOwn this FVF 100 Drachmai and hold Greece's intellectual and spiritual soul in your hands — the goddess of wisdom, the man who rebuilt a language, and the monastery that chose glory over surrender.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"World Money Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52633926861111,"sku":"GR200FVF","price":0.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0969\/7165\/3431\/files\/200-FVF-or.png?v=1783469742"},{"product_id":"greece-p201-500-drachmes-1983-fvf-kapodistrias-old-fortress-corfu","title":"Greece P201 500 Drachmes 1983 FVF—1st Head of Modern Greece—Corfu Fortress","description":"\u003cp\u003eA deep green note from Greece's Third Hellenic Republic, honoring the man who built the modern Greek state from scratch and the island fortress that guarded the gateway to the Mediterranean for centuries.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eFront\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColors:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n    \u003cul\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eDeep green on multicolor underprint\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePortrait:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ioannis_Kapodistrias\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eIoannis Kapodistrias\u003c\/a\u003e at center-left — first Governor of independent Greece and former Foreign Minister of Russia\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDesign elements:\u003c\/strong\u003e Kapodistrias' birthplace at lower right; book and quill at lower center; face value and date at center\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSignatures:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gerasimos_Arsenis\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGerasimos Arsenis\u003c\/a\u003e, Gov.; Efst. Konidaris, Manager\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEngraver:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ioannis Pipinis\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eBack\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColors:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n    \u003cul\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eDeep green on multicolor underprint\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eScene:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Old_Fortress_of_Corfu\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eOld Fortress of Corfu\u003c\/a\u003e at center; grapes at lower right\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEngraver:\u003c\/strong\u003e Eleonora Perraki-Pipinis\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eOther Characteristics\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCatalog numbers:\u003c\/strong\u003e P-201a; Numista N#205994\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWatermark:\u003c\/strong\u003e Charioteer of Delphi, dedicated to Polyzalos\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eComposition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Paper\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 158 × 72 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIssuing entity:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bank_of_Greece\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBank of Greece\u003c\/a\u003e (Τράπεζα της Ελλάδος)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePrinter:\u003c\/strong\u003e Banknote and Currency Printing Office (Ίδρυμα Εκτυπώσεως Τραπεζογραμματίων και Αξιών), Athens\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDemonetized:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Demonetization_(currency)\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDemonetized\u003c\/a\u003e: March 31, 2012\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSignatures:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gerasimos_Arsenis\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGerasimos Arsenis\u003c\/a\u003e, Gov.; Efst. Konidaris, Manager\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCurrency:\u003c\/strong\u003e Third modern drachma (1954–2001)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Man Who Built Greece\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIoannis Kapodistrias\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cstrong\u003e1776–1831\u003c\/strong\u003e) is one of the most remarkable statesmen of the 19th century — a \u003cstrong\u003eCorfiot nobleman\u003c\/strong\u003e who rose to become Foreign Minister of the Russian Empire under Tsar Alexander I, then returned to become the \u003cstrong\u003efirst Governor of independent Greece\u003c\/strong\u003e in 1827. He inherited a country devastated by war, with no functioning institutions, no currency, no army, and no civil administration. In just four years he built a central government, established a national currency, founded schools, and created a professional military. He was \u003cstrong\u003eassassinated in 1831\u003c\/strong\u003e outside a church in Nafplio by members of a powerful clan he had tried to rein in — a reminder that nation-building has always had enemies. His legacy is so profound that his face appeared on the \u003cstrong\u003eGreek 500 drachma\u003c\/strong\u003e for decades, and the main square of Corfu Town bears his name.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Fortress That Never Fell to Siege\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eOld Fortress of Corfu\u003c\/strong\u003e (Palaio Frourio) sits on a rocky promontory jutting into the Ionian Sea, separated from Corfu Town by an artificial moat cut by the \u003cstrong\u003eVenetians\u003c\/strong\u003e in the 15th century. It was the Venetians who transformed it into one of the most formidable fortifications in the Mediterranean, guarding the crucial sea lanes between the Adriatic and the eastern Mediterranean for over \u003cstrong\u003e400 years\u003c\/strong\u003e. The fortress withstood repeated Ottoman sieges — most famously in \u003cstrong\u003e1571\u003c\/strong\u003e, the same year as the Battle of Lepanto — and was never taken by force. It passed to \u003cstrong\u003eNapoleon\u003c\/strong\u003e in 1797, then to the British, before finally becoming Greek in \u003cstrong\u003e1864\u003c\/strong\u003e when Britain ceded the Ionian Islands to Greece as a gift to the newly crowned King George I.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout Greece\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e \"Greece\" derives from the Latin \u003cem\u003eGraecia\u003c\/em\u003e, the Roman name for the region; Greeks call their country \u003cstrong\u003eHellas\u003c\/strong\u003e (Ελλάδα), from \u003cem\u003eHellen\u003c\/em\u003e, the mythological ancestor of the Greek people\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCapital:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Athens\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAthens\u003c\/a\u003e — city pop. ~665,000; metro pop. ~3.6 million\n    \u003cul\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e Named after \u003cstrong\u003eAthena\u003c\/strong\u003e, goddess of wisdom, who won a contest with Poseidon for patronage of the city by gifting an olive tree\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePopulation:\u003c\/strong\u003e ~10.4 million (UN 2023) — comparable to Michigan or Portugal\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArea:\u003c\/strong\u003e 131,957 km² \/ 50,949 mi² — comparable to Alabama or England\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGDP per capita at \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Purchasing_power_parity\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePPP\u003c\/a\u003e:\u003c\/strong\u003e ~$40,000 (IMF 2024)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMain exports:\u003c\/strong\u003e Petroleum products, aluminum, pharmaceuticals, olive oil, cotton, fruits\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBorders:\u003c\/strong\u003e Albania, North Macedonia, Bulgaria (north); Turkey (northeast); surrounded by the Aegean, Ionian, and Mediterranean seas\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOfficial\/spoken languages:\u003c\/strong\u003e Greek\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEthnicities:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Greeks\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGreek\u003c\/a\u003e (~91%), \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Albanians_in_Greece\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAlbanian\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Romani_people_in_Greece\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eRoma\u003c\/a\u003e, and others\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMemberships:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_Nations\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eUnited Nations\u003c\/a\u003e (founding member, 1945); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/NATO\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNATO\u003c\/a\u003e (1952); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/European_Union\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eEuropean Union\u003c\/a\u003e (1981); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Council_of_Europe\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCouncil of Europe\u003c\/a\u003e (founding member, 1949)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSovereignty:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ancient city-states → Macedonian Empire → Roman\/Byzantine rule → Ottoman Empire (1453–1821) → Greek War of Independence (1821–1829) → Kingdom of Greece (1832–1974) → Third Hellenic Republic (1974–date)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eGreece Unfiltered\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCradle of democracy:\u003c\/strong\u003e Athens introduced the world's first democratic system around \u003cstrong\u003e508 BC\u003c\/strong\u003e under Cleisthenes — though only free male citizens could vote\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDebt crisis:\u003c\/strong\u003e Greece triggered the \u003cstrong\u003e2010 European sovereign debt crisis\u003c\/strong\u003e, receiving the largest financial bailout in history at the time (~€289 billion), and endured a decade of brutal austerity\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIslands:\u003c\/strong\u003e Greece has over \u003cstrong\u003e6,000 islands\u003c\/strong\u003e, of which only about 227 are inhabited — making it one of the most island-rich countries on Earth\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAncient legacy:\u003c\/strong\u003e The \u003cstrong\u003eOlympic Games\u003c\/strong\u003e originated in Olympia, Greece, in \u003cstrong\u003e776 BC\u003c\/strong\u003e — held every four years for over a millennium before being banned by the Roman Emperor Theodosius I in 393 AD\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eShipping power:\u003c\/strong\u003e Greece controls the \u003cstrong\u003elargest merchant shipping fleet\u003c\/strong\u003e in the world by tonnage — a modern echo of its ancient maritime dominance\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBrain drain:\u003c\/strong\u003e Since the 2010 debt crisis, an estimated \u003cstrong\u003e500,000 Greeks\u003c\/strong\u003e — many of them young and educated — emigrated, one of the largest brain drains in modern European history\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMythology everywhere:\u003c\/strong\u003e Over \u003cstrong\u003e40% of English words\u003c\/strong\u003e have Greek roots — from \"democracy\" to \"telephone\" to \"galaxy\"\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOwn this FVF 500 Drachmes and hold the man who built a nation and the fortress that never fell — two symbols of Greek resilience on a single deep green note.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"World Money Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52633956581687,"sku":"GR201FVF","price":0.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0969\/7165\/3431\/files\/201-FVF-or.png?v=1783470271"},{"product_id":"greece-p202-1000-drachmes-1987-fvf-apollo-discobolus-temple-hera","title":"Greece P202 1000 Drachmes 1987 FVF—Apollo—Discus Thrower—Temple of Hera","description":"\u003cp\u003eA rich brown note celebrating the birthplace of the Olympic Games — pairing the god of light and reason with the most iconic image of athletic perfection ever sculpted, set against the ancient sanctuary where champions were crowned.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eFront\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColors:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n    \u003cul\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eBrown on multicolor underprint\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePortrait:\u003c\/strong\u003e Bust of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Apollo_of_Olympia\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eApollo of Olympia\u003c\/a\u003e at center — based on the famous marble sculpture from the Temple of Zeus at Olympia, c. 460 BC\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDesign elements:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ancient Greek silver stater coin from Olympia, Elis at lower left (depicting Zeus on obverse, eagle on reverse); bank name and face value at left; watermark window at right\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSecurity:\u003c\/strong\u003e Vertical security strip approximately 34mm from left edge\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSignatures:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dimitrios_Halikias\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDimitrios Chalikias\u003c\/a\u003e, Gov.; Charal. Skouras, Manager\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEngraver:\u003c\/strong\u003e Georgios Angelopoulos\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDesigner:\u003c\/strong\u003e Nikos Nikolaou\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eBack\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColors:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n    \u003cul\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eBrown on multicolor underprint\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSculpture:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Discobolus\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDiscobolus\u003c\/a\u003e (discus thrower) by \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Myron\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMyron of Eleutherae\u003c\/a\u003e at left\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBuilding:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Heraion_of_Olympia\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eTemple of Hera\u003c\/a\u003e at Ancient Olympia at center\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEngravers:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ioannis Pipinis, Eleonora Perraki-Pipinis\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eOther Characteristics\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCatalog numbers:\u003c\/strong\u003e P-202; Numista N#203471\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWatermark:\u003c\/strong\u003e Charioteer of Delphi, dedicated to Polyzalos\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eComposition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Paper\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 158 × 77 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIssuing entity:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bank_of_Greece\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBank of Greece\u003c\/a\u003e (Τράπεζα της Ελλάδος)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePrinter:\u003c\/strong\u003e Banknote and Currency Printing Office (Ίδρυμα Εκτυπώσεως Τραπεζογραμματίων και Αξιών), Athens\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDemonetized:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Demonetization_(currency)\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDemonetized\u003c\/a\u003e: March 1, 2002\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSignatures:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dimitrios_Halikias\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDimitrios Chalikias\u003c\/a\u003e, Gov.; Charal. Skouras, Manager\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCurrency:\u003c\/strong\u003e Third modern drachma (1954–2001)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe God of Light, Reason, and Beauty\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eApollo\u003c\/strong\u003e — god of the sun, music, poetry, prophecy, and reason — was perhaps the most beloved of all the Olympian gods, and certainly the most Greek in spirit. The bust on this note is modeled after the \u003cstrong\u003eApollo of Olympia\u003c\/strong\u003e, a towering marble figure carved around \u003cstrong\u003e460 BC\u003c\/strong\u003e for the west pediment of the Temple of Zeus. He is shown with arm outstretched, commanding order over chaos — a fitting image for a deity who represented the Greek ideal of \u003cem\u003esophrosyne\u003c\/em\u003e, or balanced self-mastery. His sanctuary at \u003cstrong\u003eDelphi\u003c\/strong\u003e was the spiritual center of the ancient Greek world, where the famous Oracle delivered prophecies to kings and generals for nearly a thousand years. The silver stater coin at lower left — minted in \u003cstrong\u003eElis\u003c\/strong\u003e, the region that administered Olympia — depicts \u003cstrong\u003eZeus\u003c\/strong\u003e on one side and an eagle on the other, a reminder that Olympia was sacred ground long before the first athlete competed there.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Frozen Moment That Defined an Era\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eDiscobolus\u003c\/strong\u003e — the discus thrower — was created by the Athenian sculptor \u003cstrong\u003eMyron of Eleutherae\u003c\/strong\u003e around \u003cstrong\u003e450 BC\u003c\/strong\u003e, and it may be the single most influential sculpture in Western art history. The original bronze is lost; what survives are Roman marble copies, one of which inspired this banknote. What makes it extraordinary is its subject: Myron captured an athlete at the precise instant of maximum tension before release — a \u003cstrong\u003efrozen moment of pure kinetic energy\u003c\/strong\u003e that no sculptor had attempted before. It became the defining image of the \u003cstrong\u003eGreek athletic ideal\u003c\/strong\u003e and was revived as a symbol of the modern Olympic movement when the Games returned to Athens in \u003cstrong\u003e1896\u003c\/strong\u003e. The \u003cstrong\u003eTemple of Hera\u003c\/strong\u003e behind it, built around \u003cstrong\u003e600 BC\u003c\/strong\u003e, is the oldest surviving temple at Olympia — and it is here that the \u003cstrong\u003eOlympic flame\u003c\/strong\u003e is still lit today before every modern Games.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout Greece\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e \"Greece\" derives from the Latin \u003cem\u003eGraecia\u003c\/em\u003e, the Roman name for the region; Greeks call their country \u003cstrong\u003eHellas\u003c\/strong\u003e (Ελλάδα), from \u003cem\u003eHellen\u003c\/em\u003e, the mythological ancestor of the Greek people\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCapital:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Athens\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAthens\u003c\/a\u003e — city pop. ~665,000; metro pop. ~3.6 million\n    \u003cul\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e Named after \u003cstrong\u003eAthena\u003c\/strong\u003e, goddess of wisdom, who won a contest with Poseidon for patronage of the city by gifting an olive tree\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePopulation:\u003c\/strong\u003e ~10.4 million (UN 2023) — comparable to Michigan or Portugal\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArea:\u003c\/strong\u003e 131,957 km² \/ 50,949 mi² — comparable to Alabama or England\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGDP per capita at \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Purchasing_power_parity\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePPP\u003c\/a\u003e:\u003c\/strong\u003e ~$40,000 (IMF 2024)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMain exports:\u003c\/strong\u003e Petroleum products, aluminum, pharmaceuticals, olive oil, cotton, fruits\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBorders:\u003c\/strong\u003e Albania, North Macedonia, Bulgaria (north); Turkey (northeast); surrounded by the Aegean, Ionian, and Mediterranean seas\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOfficial\/spoken languages:\u003c\/strong\u003e Greek\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEthnicities:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Greeks\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGreek\u003c\/a\u003e (~91%), \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Albanians_in_Greece\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAlbanian\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Romani_people_in_Greece\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eRoma\u003c\/a\u003e, and others\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMemberships:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_Nations\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eUnited Nations\u003c\/a\u003e (founding member, 1945); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/NATO\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNATO\u003c\/a\u003e (1952); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/European_Union\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eEuropean Union\u003c\/a\u003e (1981); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Council_of_Europe\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCouncil of Europe\u003c\/a\u003e (founding member, 1949)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSovereignty:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ancient city-states → Macedonian Empire → Roman\/Byzantine rule → Ottoman Empire (1453–1821) → Greek War of Independence (1821–1829) → Kingdom of Greece (1832–1974) → Third Hellenic Republic (1974–date)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eGreece Unfiltered\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCradle of democracy:\u003c\/strong\u003e Athens introduced the world's first democratic system around \u003cstrong\u003e508 BC\u003c\/strong\u003e under Cleisthenes — though only free male citizens could vote\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDebt crisis:\u003c\/strong\u003e Greece triggered the \u003cstrong\u003e2010 European sovereign debt crisis\u003c\/strong\u003e, receiving the largest financial bailout in history at the time (~€289 billion), and endured a decade of brutal austerity\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIslands:\u003c\/strong\u003e Greece has over \u003cstrong\u003e6,000 islands\u003c\/strong\u003e, of which only about 227 are inhabited — making it one of the most island-rich countries on Earth\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAncient legacy:\u003c\/strong\u003e The \u003cstrong\u003eOlympic Games\u003c\/strong\u003e originated in Olympia, Greece, in \u003cstrong\u003e776 BC\u003c\/strong\u003e — held every four years for over a millennium before being banned by the Roman Emperor Theodosius I in 393 AD\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eShipping power:\u003c\/strong\u003e Greece controls the \u003cstrong\u003elargest merchant shipping fleet\u003c\/strong\u003e in the world by tonnage — a modern echo of its ancient maritime dominance\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBrain drain:\u003c\/strong\u003e Since the 2010 debt crisis, an estimated \u003cstrong\u003e500,000 Greeks\u003c\/strong\u003e — many of them young and educated — emigrated, one of the largest brain drains in modern European history\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMythology everywhere:\u003c\/strong\u003e Over \u003cstrong\u003e40% of English words\u003c\/strong\u003e have Greek roots — from \"democracy\" to \"telephone\" to \"galaxy\"\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOwn this FVF 1000 Drachmes and hold the birthplace of the Olympics in your hands — Apollo's timeless gaze on the front, the world's most famous athlete frozen mid-throw on the back, and the oldest Olympic temple standing behind him.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"World Money Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52633959203127,"sku":"GR202FVF","price":0.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0969\/7165\/3431\/files\/202-FVF-or.png?v=1783470576"},{"product_id":"greece-p204-200-drachmes-1996-fvf-rigas-feraios-secret-school","title":"Greece P204 200 Drachmes 1996 FVF—Rigas Feraios—The Secret School","description":"\u003cp\u003eA vivid orange note from the final years of the Greek drachma, honoring a revolutionary poet-martyr who died for Greek freedom before it arrived — and a legendary painting of children learning in secret under Ottoman occupation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eFront\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColors:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n    \u003cul\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eOrange on multicolor underprint\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePortrait:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rigas_Feraios\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eRigas Velestinlis-Feraios\u003c\/a\u003e — Greek revolutionary, poet, and proto-nationalist martyr, executed by the Ottomans in 1798\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDesign elements:\u003c\/strong\u003e People playing and singing; the quote \u003cem\u003e\"The one who thinks freely, thinks well\"\u003c\/em\u003e (note: originally written by Swiss scientist \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Albrecht_von_Haller\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAlbrecht von Haller\u003c\/a\u003e, misattributed to Rigas on the note)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSignatures:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lucas_Papademos\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eLukas Papadimos\u003c\/a\u003e, Gov.; Konstantinos Argyropoulos, Manager\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDesigner:\u003c\/strong\u003e Pericles Sotiriou\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eBack\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColors:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n    \u003cul\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eOrange on multicolor underprint\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePainting:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Secret_School\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eThe Secret School\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e — an oil painting by \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nikolaos_Gyzis\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNikolaos Gyzis\u003c\/a\u003e (1885), depicting a Greek Orthodox priest secretly teaching children by candlelight during Ottoman rule\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDesigner:\u003c\/strong\u003e Nikos Nikolaou\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eOther Characteristics\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCatalog numbers:\u003c\/strong\u003e P-204; Numista N#204828\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWatermark:\u003c\/strong\u003e Head of King Philip II of Macedonia\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eComposition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Paper\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 129 × 65 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIssuing entity:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bank_of_Greece\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBank of Greece\u003c\/a\u003e (Τράπεζα της Ελλάδος)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePrinter:\u003c\/strong\u003e Banknote and Currency Printing Office (Ίδρυμα Εκτυπώσεως Τραπεζογραμματίων και Αξιών), Athens\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDemonetized:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Demonetization_(currency)\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDemonetized\u003c\/a\u003e: March 1, 2012\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSignatures:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lucas_Papademos\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eLukas Papadimos\u003c\/a\u003e, Gov.; Konstantinos Argyropoulos, Manager\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCurrency:\u003c\/strong\u003e Third modern drachma (1954–2001)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Man Who Died for a Greece That Didn't Exist Yet\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRigas Velestinlis-Feraios\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cstrong\u003ec. 1757–1798\u003c\/strong\u003e) was a \u003cstrong\u003eThessalian Greek\u003c\/strong\u003e revolutionary, poet, and visionary who dreamed of a Balkan republic modeled on the French Revolution — more than two decades before Greek independence was achieved. He wrote revolutionary pamphlets, composed the \u003cstrong\u003e\"War Hymn\"\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cem\u003eThourios\u003c\/em\u003e), and drew a detailed map of a proposed Greek state. He was arrested by Austrian authorities in \u003cstrong\u003eTrieste\u003c\/strong\u003e in 1797 while trying to travel to Napoleon's army, handed over to the Ottomans, and \u003cstrong\u003estrangled in Belgrade in 1798\u003c\/strong\u003e along with seven companions. His last words, according to tradition: \u003cem\u003e\"I have sown a rich seed; the hour is coming when my country will gather its fruit.\"\u003c\/em\u003e He was right — the War of Independence broke out just \u003cstrong\u003e23 years later\u003c\/strong\u003e. The quote on this note — \u003cem\u003e\"The one who thinks freely, thinks well\"\u003c\/em\u003e — was actually written by Swiss scientist \u003cstrong\u003eAlbrecht von Haller\u003c\/strong\u003e, but became so associated with Rigas that the Bank of Greece printed it on the note anyway.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Painting That Became a National Myth\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Secret School\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e (\u003cem\u003eKryfo Scholio\u003c\/em\u003e), painted by \u003cstrong\u003eNikolaos Gyzis\u003c\/strong\u003e in \u003cstrong\u003e1885\u003c\/strong\u003e, depicts a Greek Orthodox priest teaching children by candlelight in a church, hidden from Ottoman authorities. It became one of the most reproduced images in Greek history — appearing in textbooks, on walls, and now on this banknote. There is, however, a fascinating historical debate: most modern historians believe the \u003cstrong\u003e\"secret school\" was largely a myth\u003c\/strong\u003e, a romantic 19th-century invention. The Ottomans generally permitted Greek education through the Orthodox Church. But the painting captured something emotionally true about the Greek experience of occupation — the fierce, stubborn preservation of language and identity — and that is why it endures. Gyzis himself was one of the greatest Greek painters of the 19th century, trained at the \u003cstrong\u003eMunich Academy\u003c\/strong\u003e, and his work blends German Romanticism with deep Greek feeling.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout Greece\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e \"Greece\" derives from the Latin \u003cem\u003eGraecia\u003c\/em\u003e, the Roman name for the region; Greeks call their country \u003cstrong\u003eHellas\u003c\/strong\u003e (Ελλάδα), from \u003cem\u003eHellen\u003c\/em\u003e, the mythological ancestor of the Greek people\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCapital:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Athens\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAthens\u003c\/a\u003e — city pop. ~665,000; metro pop. ~3.6 million\n    \u003cul\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e Named after \u003cstrong\u003eAthena\u003c\/strong\u003e, goddess of wisdom, who won a contest with Poseidon for patronage of the city by gifting an olive tree\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePopulation:\u003c\/strong\u003e ~10.4 million (UN 2023) — comparable to Michigan or Portugal\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArea:\u003c\/strong\u003e 131,957 km² \/ 50,949 mi² — comparable to Alabama or England\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGDP per capita at \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Purchasing_power_parity\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePPP\u003c\/a\u003e:\u003c\/strong\u003e ~$40,000 (IMF 2024)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMain exports:\u003c\/strong\u003e Petroleum products, aluminum, pharmaceuticals, olive oil, cotton, fruits\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBorders:\u003c\/strong\u003e Albania, North Macedonia, Bulgaria (north); Turkey (northeast); surrounded by the Aegean, Ionian, and Mediterranean seas\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOfficial\/spoken languages:\u003c\/strong\u003e Greek\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEthnicities:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Greeks\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGreek\u003c\/a\u003e (~91%), \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Albanians_in_Greece\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAlbanian\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Romani_people_in_Greece\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eRoma\u003c\/a\u003e, and others\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMemberships:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_Nations\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eUnited Nations\u003c\/a\u003e (founding member, 1945); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/NATO\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNATO\u003c\/a\u003e (1952); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/European_Union\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eEuropean Union\u003c\/a\u003e (1981); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Council_of_Europe\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCouncil of Europe\u003c\/a\u003e (founding member, 1949)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSovereignty:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ancient city-states → Macedonian Empire → Roman\/Byzantine rule → Ottoman Empire (1453–1821) → Greek War of Independence (1821–1829) → Kingdom of Greece (1832–1974) → Third Hellenic Republic (1974–date)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eGreece Unfiltered\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCradle of democracy:\u003c\/strong\u003e Athens introduced the world's first democratic system around \u003cstrong\u003e508 BC\u003c\/strong\u003e under Cleisthenes — though only free male citizens could vote\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDebt crisis:\u003c\/strong\u003e Greece triggered the \u003cstrong\u003e2010 European sovereign debt crisis\u003c\/strong\u003e, receiving the largest financial bailout in history at the time (~€289 billion), and endured a decade of brutal austerity\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIslands:\u003c\/strong\u003e Greece has over \u003cstrong\u003e6,000 islands\u003c\/strong\u003e, of which only about 227 are inhabited — making it one of the most island-rich countries on Earth\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAncient legacy:\u003c\/strong\u003e The \u003cstrong\u003eOlympic Games\u003c\/strong\u003e originated in Olympia, Greece, in \u003cstrong\u003e776 BC\u003c\/strong\u003e — held every four years for over a millennium before being banned by the Roman Emperor Theodosius I in 393 AD\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eShipping power:\u003c\/strong\u003e Greece controls the \u003cstrong\u003elargest merchant shipping fleet\u003c\/strong\u003e in the world by tonnage — a modern echo of its ancient maritime dominance\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBrain drain:\u003c\/strong\u003e Since the 2010 debt crisis, an estimated \u003cstrong\u003e500,000 Greeks\u003c\/strong\u003e — many of them young and educated — emigrated, one of the largest brain drains in modern European history\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMythology everywhere:\u003c\/strong\u003e Over \u003cstrong\u003e40% of English words\u003c\/strong\u003e have Greek roots — from \"democracy\" to \"telephone\" to \"galaxy\"\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOwn this FVF 200 Drachmes and hold a man who died for a country that didn't exist yet, and a painting of children who refused to let their language die — two acts of defiance on a single orange note.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"World Money Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52633972441399,"sku":"GR204FVF","price":0.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0969\/7165\/3431\/files\/204-FVF-or.png?v=1783470850"},{"product_id":"greece-5-pcs-set-50-100-200-500-1000-drachmes-1973-1996-fvf-fine-very-fine","title":"Greece 5 Pcs Set 50 100 200 500 1000 Drachmes 1978–1996 FVF","description":"\u003cp\u003eFive notes. Five centuries of Greek civilization compressed into paper and ink. This complete set spans the final era of the Greek drachma — one of the oldest currencies in human history — and together they tell the story of a nation that gave the world its gods, its games, its language, and its idea of freedom.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat's in the Set\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e50 Drachmai 1978 (P-199a) — Poseidon \u0026amp; Laskarina Bouboulina:\u003c\/strong\u003e The god who shook the earth on the front; the widow who armed a fleet and commanded it into battle on the back. Blue on multicolor underprint. 144 × 64 mm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e100 Drachmai 1978 (P-200) — Athena \u0026amp; Adamantios Korais:\u003c\/strong\u003e The bronze goddess of wisdom paired with the scholar who rebuilt the Greek language from the ground up. Brown and violet on multicolor underprint. 158 × 67 mm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e200 Drachmes 1996 (P-204) — Rigas Feraios \u0026amp; The Secret School:\u003c\/strong\u003e A revolutionary poet strangled by the Ottomans before independence arrived, alongside Gyzis' legendary painting of children learning in secret. Orange on multicolor underprint. 129 × 65 mm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e500 Drachmes 1983 (P-201) — Kapodistrias \u0026amp; Old Fortress of Corfu:\u003c\/strong\u003e The first Governor of modern Greece — a man who built a nation from nothing and was assassinated for it — and the Venetian fortress that never fell to siege. Deep green on multicolor underprint. 158 × 72 mm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e1000 Drachmes 1987 (P-202) — Apollo \u0026amp; Discobolus:\u003c\/strong\u003e The god of reason and light, modeled on the great marble of Olympia, facing the most famous frozen moment in the history of sport. Brown on multicolor underprint. 158 × 77 mm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eSet Details\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Fine to Very Fine (FVF) — circulated notes with clear detail, moderate wear, no tears\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCurrency:\u003c\/strong\u003e Third modern drachma (1954–2001)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDemonetized:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Demonetization_(currency)\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDemonetized\u003c\/a\u003e upon Greece's adoption of the Euro in 2002 (500 and 200 Drachmes demonetized March 1, 2012)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIssuing entity:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bank_of_Greece\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBank of Greece\u003c\/a\u003e (Τράπεζα της Ελλάδος)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePrinter:\u003c\/strong\u003e Banknote and Currency Printing Office, Athens\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eComposition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Paper\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSeries:\u003c\/strong\u003e Bank of Greece issue of 1978–1997\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe God Who Shook the Earth\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePoseidon — brother of Zeus, ruler of the seas, and one of the most powerful Olympian gods — was no mere deity of water. He was the \u003cstrong\u003eEarth-Shaker\u003c\/strong\u003e, credited with causing earthquakes, storms, and shipwrecks with a single strike of his \u003cstrong\u003etrident\u003c\/strong\u003e. For the ancient Greeks, who depended on the sea for trade, war, and survival, Poseidon was both a protector and a terror. His temple at \u003cstrong\u003eCape Sounion\u003c\/strong\u003e, perched dramatically on a cliff overlooking the Aegean, still stands today — a reminder of how central he was to Greek identity. The head depicted on the 50 Drachmai is modeled after the famous \u003cstrong\u003eBronze Statue of Poseidon\u003c\/strong\u003e (or Zeus) recovered from the sea off Cape Artemision, dating to around \u003cstrong\u003e460 BC\u003c\/strong\u003e and now housed in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Woman Who Commanded a Fleet\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLaskarina Bouboulina\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cstrong\u003e1771–1825\u003c\/strong\u003e) was one of the most extraordinary figures of the Greek War of Independence — a wealthy widow from \u003cstrong\u003eSpetses\u003c\/strong\u003e who used her own fortune to build and arm a fleet of warships. She commanded her flagship, the \u003cstrong\u003eAgamemnon\u003c\/strong\u003e, personally, leading naval blockades against Ottoman forces. The scene on the reverse of the 50 Drachmai captures her at the \u003cstrong\u003esiege of Nafplio\u003c\/strong\u003e, directing cannon fire at the fortress of \u003cstrong\u003ePalamidi\u003c\/strong\u003e — a moment that became legendary in Greek national memory. She was posthumously honored as an \u003cstrong\u003eAdmiral\u003c\/strong\u003e of the Russian Imperial Navy, the only woman ever to hold that rank. She was assassinated in \u003cstrong\u003e1825\u003c\/strong\u003e, shot through a window during a family dispute — a dramatic end to a dramatic life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Goddess Who Named a City\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Athena\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAthena\u003c\/a\u003e, goddess of wisdom, warfare, and crafts, is one of the most enduring figures in all of mythology. According to legend, she won patronage of Athens by gifting the city an \u003cstrong\u003eolive tree\u003c\/strong\u003e — besting Poseidon, who offered only a saltwater spring. The statue depicted on the 100 Drachmai, the \u003cstrong\u003eAthena of Piraeus\u003c\/strong\u003e, is a stunning \u003cstrong\u003e4th-century BC\u003c\/strong\u003e bronze discovered accidentally in \u003cstrong\u003e1959\u003c\/strong\u003e during construction work in Piraeus harbor — buried for centuries, perfectly preserved. She stands nearly 2.4 meters tall and is considered one of the finest surviving examples of ancient Greek bronze sculpture. The \u003cstrong\u003eUniversity of Athens\u003c\/strong\u003e on the right, founded in \u003cstrong\u003e1837\u003c\/strong\u003e, was the first university in the modern Greek state and the first in the entire Balkan and Eastern Mediterranean region.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Man Who Rebuilt the Greek Language\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAdamantios Korais\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cstrong\u003e1748–1833\u003c\/strong\u003e) spent most of his life in \u003cstrong\u003eParis\u003c\/strong\u003e, yet he may have done more for Greek national identity than anyone who stayed home. A physician by training and a philologist by passion, he dedicated decades to purifying and standardizing the Greek language — creating \u003cem\u003eKatharevousa\u003c\/em\u003e, a reformed literary Greek that bridged ancient and modern forms. His \u003cstrong\u003eAdamantios Library\u003c\/strong\u003e project produced critical editions of ancient Greek texts that fueled the intellectual fire of the Greek independence movement. He corresponded with \u003cstrong\u003eThomas Jefferson\u003c\/strong\u003e and was celebrated across Europe as a symbol of Greek enlightenment. He never returned to Greece — dying in Paris at \u003cstrong\u003e84\u003c\/strong\u003e — but his influence on modern Greek identity is incalculable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Monastery That Chose Death Over Surrender\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eArkadi Monastery\u003c\/strong\u003e in Crete became a symbol of ultimate resistance on \u003cstrong\u003eNovember 9, 1866\u003c\/strong\u003e. Surrounded by Ottoman forces vastly outnumbering the Cretan rebels and civilians sheltering inside, the abbot \u003cstrong\u003eGabriel Marinakis\u003c\/strong\u003e made a fateful decision: rather than surrender, he ordered the powder magazine ignited. The explosion killed hundreds — rebels, civilians, women, children, and Ottoman soldiers alike. The event shocked Europe and galvanized international support for Cretan independence. The monastery still stands today as a \u003cstrong\u003enational shrine\u003c\/strong\u003e, and November 9 is commemorated annually in Crete.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Man Who Died for a Greece That Didn't Exist Yet\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRigas Velestinlis-Feraios\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cstrong\u003ec. 1757–1798\u003c\/strong\u003e) was a \u003cstrong\u003eThessalian Greek\u003c\/strong\u003e revolutionary, poet, and visionary who dreamed of a Balkan republic modeled on the French Revolution — more than two decades before Greek independence was achieved. He wrote revolutionary pamphlets, composed the \u003cstrong\u003e\"War Hymn\"\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cem\u003eThourios\u003c\/em\u003e), and drew a detailed map of a proposed Greek state. He was arrested by Austrian authorities in \u003cstrong\u003eTrieste\u003c\/strong\u003e in 1797 while trying to travel to Napoleon's army, handed over to the Ottomans, and \u003cstrong\u003estrangled in Belgrade in 1798\u003c\/strong\u003e along with seven companions. His last words, according to tradition: \u003cem\u003e\"I have sown a rich seed; the hour is coming when my country will gather its fruit.\"\u003c\/em\u003e He was right — the War of Independence broke out just \u003cstrong\u003e23 years later\u003c\/strong\u003e. The quote on the 200 Drachmes — \u003cem\u003e\"The one who thinks freely, thinks well\"\u003c\/em\u003e — was actually written by Swiss scientist \u003cstrong\u003eAlbrecht von Haller\u003c\/strong\u003e, but became so associated with Rigas that the Bank of Greece printed it on the note anyway.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Painting That Became a National Myth\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Secret School\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e (\u003cem\u003eKryfo Scholio\u003c\/em\u003e), painted by \u003cstrong\u003eNikolaos Gyzis\u003c\/strong\u003e in \u003cstrong\u003e1885\u003c\/strong\u003e, depicts a Greek Orthodox priest teaching children by candlelight in a church, hidden from Ottoman authorities. It became one of the most reproduced images in Greek history — appearing in textbooks, on walls, and now on the 200 Drachmes. There is, however, a fascinating historical debate: most modern historians believe the \u003cstrong\u003e\"secret school\" was largely a myth\u003c\/strong\u003e, a romantic 19th-century invention. The Ottomans generally permitted Greek education through the Orthodox Church. But the painting captured something emotionally true about the Greek experience of occupation — the fierce, stubborn preservation of language and identity — and that is why it endures. Gyzis himself was one of the greatest Greek painters of the 19th century, trained at the \u003cstrong\u003eMunich Academy\u003c\/strong\u003e, and his work blends German Romanticism with deep Greek feeling.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Man Who Built Greece\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIoannis Kapodistrias\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cstrong\u003e1776–1831\u003c\/strong\u003e) is one of the most remarkable statesmen of the 19th century — a \u003cstrong\u003eCorfiot nobleman\u003c\/strong\u003e who rose to become Foreign Minister of the Russian Empire under Tsar Alexander I, then returned to become the \u003cstrong\u003efirst Governor of independent Greece\u003c\/strong\u003e in 1827. He inherited a country devastated by war, with no functioning institutions, no currency, no army, and no civil administration. In just four years he built a central government, established a national currency, founded schools, and created a professional military. He was \u003cstrong\u003eassassinated in 1831\u003c\/strong\u003e outside a church in Nafplio by members of a powerful clan he had tried to rein in — a reminder that nation-building has always had enemies. His legacy is so profound that his face appeared on the \u003cstrong\u003eGreek 500 drachma\u003c\/strong\u003e for decades, and the main square of Corfu Town bears his name.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Fortress That Never Fell to Siege\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eOld Fortress of Corfu\u003c\/strong\u003e (Palaio Frourio) sits on a rocky promontory jutting into the Ionian Sea, separated from Corfu Town by an artificial moat cut by the \u003cstrong\u003eVenetians\u003c\/strong\u003e in the 15th century. It was the Venetians who transformed it into one of the most formidable fortifications in the Mediterranean, guarding the crucial sea lanes between the Adriatic and the eastern Mediterranean for over \u003cstrong\u003e400 years\u003c\/strong\u003e. The fortress withstood repeated Ottoman sieges — most famously in \u003cstrong\u003e1571\u003c\/strong\u003e, the same year as the Battle of Lepanto — and was never taken by force. It passed to \u003cstrong\u003eNapoleon\u003c\/strong\u003e in 1797, then to the British, before finally becoming Greek in \u003cstrong\u003e1864\u003c\/strong\u003e when Britain ceded the Ionian Islands to Greece as a gift to the newly crowned King George I.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe God of Light, Reason, and Beauty\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eApollo\u003c\/strong\u003e — god of the sun, music, poetry, prophecy, and reason — was perhaps the most beloved of all the Olympian gods, and certainly the most Greek in spirit. The bust on the 1000 Drachmes is modeled after the \u003cstrong\u003eApollo of Olympia\u003c\/strong\u003e, a towering marble figure carved around \u003cstrong\u003e460 BC\u003c\/strong\u003e for the west pediment of the Temple of Zeus. He is shown with arm outstretched, commanding order over chaos — a fitting image for a deity who represented the Greek ideal of \u003cem\u003esophrosyne\u003c\/em\u003e, or balanced self-mastery. His sanctuary at \u003cstrong\u003eDelphi\u003c\/strong\u003e was the spiritual center of the ancient Greek world, where the famous Oracle delivered prophecies to kings and generals for nearly a thousand years. The silver stater coin at lower left — minted in \u003cstrong\u003eElis\u003c\/strong\u003e, the region that administered Olympia — depicts \u003cstrong\u003eZeus\u003c\/strong\u003e on one side and an eagle on the other, a reminder that Olympia was sacred ground long before the first athlete competed there.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Frozen Moment That Defined an Era\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eDiscobolus\u003c\/strong\u003e — the discus thrower — was created by the Athenian sculptor \u003cstrong\u003eMyron of Eleutherae\u003c\/strong\u003e around \u003cstrong\u003e450 BC\u003c\/strong\u003e, and it may be the single most influential sculpture in Western art history. The original bronze is lost; what survives are Roman marble copies, one of which inspired the 1000 Drachmes. What makes it extraordinary is its subject: Myron captured an athlete at the precise instant of maximum tension before release — a \u003cstrong\u003efrozen moment of pure kinetic energy\u003c\/strong\u003e that no sculptor had attempted before. It became the defining image of the \u003cstrong\u003eGreek athletic ideal\u003c\/strong\u003e and was revived as a symbol of the modern Olympic movement when the Games returned to Athens in \u003cstrong\u003e1896\u003c\/strong\u003e. The \u003cstrong\u003eTemple of Hera\u003c\/strong\u003e behind it, built around \u003cstrong\u003e600 BC\u003c\/strong\u003e, is the oldest surviving temple at Olympia — and it is here that the \u003cstrong\u003eOlympic flame\u003c\/strong\u003e is still lit today before every modern Games.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Last Drachmas\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003edrachma\u003c\/strong\u003e is one of the oldest named currencies in the world — used in ancient Athens as early as the \u003cstrong\u003e6th century BC\u003c\/strong\u003e, when a single drachma represented a day's skilled labor. The notes in this set are from the \u003cstrong\u003ethird modern drachma\u003c\/strong\u003e, introduced in \u003cstrong\u003e1954\u003c\/strong\u003e after the devastation of World War II and the Greek Civil War had rendered earlier currencies worthless. Greece joined the Eurozone on \u003cstrong\u003eJanuary 1, 2001\u003c\/strong\u003e, and drachma notes ceased to be legal tender on \u003cstrong\u003eMarch 1, 2002\u003c\/strong\u003e — ending over 2,500 years of monetary history. These five notes represent the final chapter of that story, issued in the last two decades of the drachma's existence, each one a small portrait of what Greece chose to remember about itself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eA Nation That Keeps Reinventing Itself\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat makes this set remarkable as a collector piece is the range of figures it honors: a \u003cstrong\u003esea god\u003c\/strong\u003e and a \u003cstrong\u003efemale naval commander\u003c\/strong\u003e; a \u003cstrong\u003egoddess of wisdom\u003c\/strong\u003e and a \u003cstrong\u003elanguage reformer\u003c\/strong\u003e; a \u003cstrong\u003erevolutionary martyr\u003c\/strong\u003e and a \u003cstrong\u003esecret classroom\u003c\/strong\u003e; a \u003cstrong\u003enation-builder\u003c\/strong\u003e and an \u003cstrong\u003eunbreachable fortress\u003c\/strong\u003e; a \u003cstrong\u003esun god\u003c\/strong\u003e and the \u003cstrong\u003eworld's most famous athlete\u003c\/strong\u003e. Together they span mythology, the War of Independence, the Enlightenment, and the ancient Olympic tradition — the full arc of what Greece means to the world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout Greece\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e \"Greece\" derives from the Latin \u003cem\u003eGraecia\u003c\/em\u003e; Greeks call their country \u003cstrong\u003eHellas\u003c\/strong\u003e (Ελλάδα), from \u003cem\u003eHellen\u003c\/em\u003e, the mythological ancestor of the Greek people\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCapital:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Athens\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAthens\u003c\/a\u003e — city pop. ~665,000; metro pop. ~3.6 million\n    \u003cul\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e Named after \u003cstrong\u003eAthena\u003c\/strong\u003e, goddess of wisdom, who won a contest with Poseidon for patronage of the city by gifting an olive tree\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePopulation:\u003c\/strong\u003e ~10.4 million (UN 2023) — comparable to Michigan or Portugal\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArea:\u003c\/strong\u003e 131,957 km² \/ 50,949 mi² — comparable to Alabama or England\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGDP per capita at \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Purchasing_power_parity\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePPP\u003c\/a\u003e:\u003c\/strong\u003e ~$40,000 (IMF 2024)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMain exports:\u003c\/strong\u003e Petroleum products, aluminum, pharmaceuticals, olive oil, cotton, fruits\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBorders:\u003c\/strong\u003e Albania, North Macedonia, Bulgaria (north); Turkey (northeast); surrounded by the Aegean, Ionian, and Mediterranean seas\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOfficial\/spoken languages:\u003c\/strong\u003e Greek\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEthnicities:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Greeks\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGreek\u003c\/a\u003e (~91%), \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Albanians_in_Greece\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAlbanian\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Romani_people_in_Greece\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eRoma\u003c\/a\u003e, and others\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMemberships:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_Nations\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eUnited Nations\u003c\/a\u003e (founding member, 1945); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/NATO\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNATO\u003c\/a\u003e (1952); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/European_Union\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eEuropean Union\u003c\/a\u003e (1981); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Council_of_Europe\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCouncil of Europe\u003c\/a\u003e (founding member, 1949)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSovereignty:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ancient city-states → Macedonian Empire → Roman\/Byzantine rule → Ottoman Empire (1453–1821) → Greek War of Independence (1821–1829) → Kingdom of Greece (1832–1974) → Third Hellenic Republic (1974–date)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eGreece Unfiltered\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCradle of democracy:\u003c\/strong\u003e Athens introduced the world's first democratic system around \u003cstrong\u003e508 BC\u003c\/strong\u003e — though only free male citizens could vote\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDebt crisis:\u003c\/strong\u003e Greece triggered the \u003cstrong\u003e2010 European sovereign debt crisis\u003c\/strong\u003e, receiving the largest financial bailout in history at the time (~€289 billion)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIslands:\u003c\/strong\u003e Greece has over \u003cstrong\u003e6,000 islands\u003c\/strong\u003e, of which only about 227 are inhabited\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAncient legacy:\u003c\/strong\u003e The \u003cstrong\u003eOlympic Games\u003c\/strong\u003e originated in Olympia in \u003cstrong\u003e776 BC\u003c\/strong\u003e — held every four years for over a millennium\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eShipping power:\u003c\/strong\u003e Greece controls the \u003cstrong\u003elargest merchant shipping fleet\u003c\/strong\u003e in the world by tonnage\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBrain drain:\u003c\/strong\u003e Since the 2010 debt crisis, an estimated \u003cstrong\u003e500,000 Greeks\u003c\/strong\u003e — many young and educated — emigrated\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMythology everywhere:\u003c\/strong\u003e Over \u003cstrong\u003e40% of English words\u003c\/strong\u003e have Greek roots — from \"democracy\" to \"telephone\" to \"galaxy\"\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOwn the last drachmas — five notes that carry 2,500 years of civilization, from Olympus to independence, from the sea god's trident to the discus thrower's frozen arc. A complete set of the final Greek drachma series, ready for your collection.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"World Money Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52633974505783,"sku":"GR-SET-5-FVF","price":2.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0969\/7165\/3431\/files\/Set-5-pcs.png?v=1783471692"},{"product_id":"greece-p195-50-drachmas-1964-fvf-nymph-arethusa-ancient-galley-ship-like-iliad","title":"Greece P195 50 Drachmas 1964 FVF–Nymph Arethusa—Iliad-style Ancient Galley Ship","description":"\u003cp\u003eA beautifully engraved mid-century Greek banknote celebrating the mythological nymph Arethusa and Greece's proud maritime heritage — issued during the brief reign of King Constantine II and demonetized after nearly four decades of circulation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFront\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColor:\u003c\/strong\u003e Blue on multicolor\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArethusa:\u003c\/strong\u003e Head of the nymph \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Arethusa_(mythology)\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eArethusa\u003c\/a\u003e at left\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGalley:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ancient Greek \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Galley\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003egalley\u003c\/a\u003e at bottom right\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSignatures:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Xenophon_Zolotas\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eXenophon Zolotas\u003c\/a\u003e (Gov., Bank of Greece); Manager signature unknown\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEngraver:\u003c\/strong\u003e Lambros Orfanos\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDesigner:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yannis Stinis\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eBack\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColor:\u003c\/strong\u003e Blue on multicolor\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eShipyard composition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Artistic composition of an old and a modern shipyard side by side\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEngraver:\u003c\/strong\u003e Lambros Orfanos\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDesigner:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yannis Stinis\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eOther Characteristics\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCatalog numbers:\u003c\/strong\u003e P-195a; Numista N#208042\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWatermark:\u003c\/strong\u003e Head of the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Antikythera_Ephebe\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAntikythera Ephebe\u003c\/a\u003e — a bronze statue of a youth recovered from an ancient shipwreck\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eComposition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Paper\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 142 × 64 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIssuing entity:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bank_of_Greece\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBank of Greece\u003c\/a\u003e (Τράπεζα της Ελλάδος)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePrinter:\u003c\/strong\u003e Banknote and Currency Printing Office (Ίδρυμα Εκτυπώσεως Τραπεζογραμματίων και Αξιών), Greece (1947–date)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Demonetization_(currency)\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDemonetized\u003c\/a\u003e:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSignatures:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Xenophon_Zolotas\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eXenophon Zolotas\u003c\/a\u003e (Gov.); Manager unknown\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCurrency:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Greek_drachma\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eThird modern drachma\u003c\/a\u003e (1954–2001)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eArethusa: The Nymph Who Became a Spring\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe figure on this note is no ordinary portrait — she is \u003cstrong\u003eArethusa\u003c\/strong\u003e, a naiad nymph from Greek mythology whose story is one of the most dramatic in the ancient canon. Pursued by the river god \u003cstrong\u003eAlpheus\u003c\/strong\u003e across land and sea, Arethusa called upon the goddess \u003cstrong\u003eArtemis\u003c\/strong\u003e for help. Artemis transformed her into an underground stream that flowed beneath the sea from the Peloponnese all the way to \u003cstrong\u003eSicily\u003c\/strong\u003e, where she emerged as the famous freshwater spring on the island of \u003cstrong\u003eOrtygia\u003c\/strong\u003e in Syracuse. The spring still flows today. Ancient Greeks believed that objects thrown into the \u003cstrong\u003eAlpheus River\u003c\/strong\u003e in the Peloponnese would resurface at Arethusa's spring in Sicily — a myth so vivid that even \u003cstrong\u003eCicero\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003ePindar\u003c\/strong\u003e wrote of it. Her image on this note connects everyday commerce to one of antiquity's most enduring love-and-transformation stories.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eOld Ships and New Ships: Greece's Maritime Soul\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe reverse composition — an old and a modern shipyard side by side — is no accident. Greece has been a seafaring civilization for \u003cstrong\u003e3,000+ years\u003c\/strong\u003e, from the triremes of the \u003cstrong\u003eBattle of Salamis\u003c\/strong\u003e (480 BC) to the massive merchant fleet that, by the 1960s, was among the largest in the world. By the time this note was issued in \u003cstrong\u003e1965\u003c\/strong\u003e, Greek shipowners like \u003cstrong\u003eAristotle Onassis\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eStavros Niarchos\u003c\/strong\u003e were global titans. The juxtaposition of ancient galley and modern shipyard on a 50-drachma note was a deliberate statement: Greece's identity is inseparable from the sea, across every era.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout Greece\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e \"Greece\" derives from Latin \u003cem\u003eGraecia\u003c\/em\u003e, the Roman name for the region; Greeks call their country \u003cstrong\u003eHellas\u003c\/strong\u003e (Ελλάς), from \u003cem\u003eHellen\u003c\/em\u003e, the mythological ancestor of the Greek people\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCapital:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Athens\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAthens\u003c\/a\u003e — city pop. ~664,000; metro pop. ~3.6 million\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e Named after the goddess \u003cstrong\u003eAthena\u003c\/strong\u003e, patron deity of the city; the origin of Athena's own name remains debated — possibly pre-Greek\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePopulation:\u003c\/strong\u003e ~10.4 million (UN 2023) — similar to Michigan or Portugal\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArea:\u003c\/strong\u003e 131,957 km² (50,949 mi²) — similar to Alabama or England\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGDP per capita (\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Purchasing_power_parity\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePPP\u003c\/a\u003e):\u003c\/strong\u003e ~$40,000 (IMF 2024)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMain exports:\u003c\/strong\u003e Petroleum products, aluminum, pharmaceuticals, olive oil, cotton, tobacco, fruits\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBorders:\u003c\/strong\u003e Albania, North Macedonia, Bulgaria (north); Turkey (northeast); surrounded by Aegean, Ionian, and Mediterranean seas\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOfficial\/spoken languages:\u003c\/strong\u003e Greek (official); minority languages include Turkish, Macedonian, Albanian\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEthnicities:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Greeks\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGreeks\u003c\/a\u003e (~91%); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Albanians_in_Greece\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAlbanians\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bulgarians_in_Greece\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBulgarians\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Romani_people_in_Greece\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eRoma\u003c\/a\u003e, and others\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMemberships:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_Nations\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eUnited Nations\u003c\/a\u003e (founding member, 1945); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/NATO\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNATO\u003c\/a\u003e (1952); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/European_Union\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eEuropean Union\u003c\/a\u003e (1981, first enlargement); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Eurozone\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eEurozone\u003c\/a\u003e (2001, replacing the drachma)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSovereignty:\u003c\/strong\u003e Independence from the Ottoman Empire declared \u003cstrong\u003e1821\u003c\/strong\u003e; recognized 1830; modern republic established 1974 after the fall of the military junta\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eGreece Unfiltered\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDebt crisis:\u003c\/strong\u003e Greece triggered the worst sovereign debt crisis in EU history (2010–2018), receiving three international bailouts totaling over €289 billion — the largest in history at the time\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAncient democracy:\u003c\/strong\u003e Athens invented democracy around \u003cstrong\u003e508 BC\u003c\/strong\u003e — and then lost it repeatedly to oligarchs, tyrants, Macedonians, Romans, Byzantines, and Ottomans for the next 2,400 years\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eShipping dominance:\u003c\/strong\u003e Greek shipowners control roughly \u003cstrong\u003e20% of global shipping tonnage\u003c\/strong\u003e — more than any other nation — despite Greece having only 0.13% of the world's population\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMilitary junta:\u003c\/strong\u003e From \u003cstrong\u003e1967 to 1974\u003c\/strong\u003e, Greece was ruled by a military dictatorship (the \"Regime of the Colonels\") — this note was issued just before the junta took power\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAntikythera mechanism:\u003c\/strong\u003e The watermark on this note references the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Antikythera_Ephebe\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAntikythera Ephebe\u003c\/a\u003e, a bronze statue of a youth recovered from the same shipwreck that yielded the \u003cstrong\u003eAntikythera mechanism\u003c\/strong\u003e — a 2,000-year-old analog computer that calculated astronomical positions\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOldest city in Europe:\u003c\/strong\u003e Athens has been continuously inhabited for at least \u003cstrong\u003e7,000 years\u003c\/strong\u003e, making it one of the oldest cities in the world\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCat island nation:\u003c\/strong\u003e Greece has one of the highest cat-per-capita ratios in Europe; cats are a protected cultural fixture, especially on the islands\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOwn this note and hold a piece of ancient myth in your hands — Arethusa's face, a shipyard's ambition, and the watermark of a bronze god pulled from the deep. A 50-drachma note that punches far above its face value.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"World Money Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52634085163319,"sku":"GR195aFVF","price":1.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0969\/7165\/3431\/files\/195-FVF-OR.png?v=1783477764"},{"product_id":"greece-p196-100-drachmas-1966-7-fvf","title":"Greece P196 100 Drachmas 1966-7 FVF—Philospoher Democritus—Academy of Athens","description":"\u003cp\u003eA striking mid-century Greek banknote honoring \u003cstrong\u003eDemocritus\u003c\/strong\u003e — the ancient philosopher who first proposed that all matter is made of indivisible atoms — paired on the reverse with the magnificent \u003cstrong\u003eAcademy of Athens\u003c\/strong\u003e, one of the most beautiful neoclassical buildings in the world. Issued during the turbulent final years before Greece's military junta collapsed, this note bridges antiquity and modernity in a single design.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eFront\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColor:\u003c\/strong\u003e Red on multicolor\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDemocritus:\u003c\/strong\u003e Statue of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Democritus\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDemocritus\u003c\/a\u003e at left\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDenomination:\u003c\/strong\u003e Value at center\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDemokritos Center:\u003c\/strong\u003e Building of the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/NCSR_Demokritos\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNational Center for Scientific Research \"Demokritos\"\u003c\/a\u003e and atom symbol at right\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSignatures:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dimitrios_Galanis\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDimitrios Galanis\u003c\/a\u003e (Gov., Bank of Greece); Manager signature unknown\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEngraver:\u003c\/strong\u003e Georgios Angelopoulos\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDesigner:\u003c\/strong\u003e Giorgos Velissaridis\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eBack\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColor:\u003c\/strong\u003e Red on multicolor\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAcademy of Athens:\u003c\/strong\u003e Building of the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Academy_of_Athens\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAcademy of Athens\u003c\/a\u003e at center\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEngraver:\u003c\/strong\u003e Georgios Angelopoulos\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDesigner:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yannis Stinis\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eOther Characteristics\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVarieties:\u003c\/strong\u003e You may receive any variety:\n    \u003cul\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eP-196a — 1966, signature Xenophon Zolotas; prefixes 01Α–01Φ only; 5,250,000 printed\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eP-196b — 1967, signature Dimitrios Galanis; prefixes 02Α–27Φ; ~546,000,000 printed\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003e\u003cem\u003eP-196ar — Replacement (prefix 00Α), as a — not this listing\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003e\u003cem\u003eP-196as — Specimen, as a — not this listing\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003e\u003cem\u003eP-196br — Replacement (prefix 00Α), as b — not this listing\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003e\u003cem\u003eP-196bs — Specimen, as b — not this listing\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCatalog numbers:\u003c\/strong\u003e P-196a \/ P-196b; Numista N#207379\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWatermark:\u003c\/strong\u003e Head of the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Antikythera_Ephebe\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAntikythera Ephebe\u003c\/a\u003e — a bronze statue of a youth recovered from an ancient shipwreck\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eComposition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Paper\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 159 × 67 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIssuing entity:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bank_of_Greece\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBank of Greece\u003c\/a\u003e (Τράπεζα της Ελλάδος)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePrinter:\u003c\/strong\u003e Banknote and Currency Printing Office (Ίδρυμα Εκτυπώσεως Τραπεζογραμματίων και Αξιών), Greece (1947–date)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Demonetization_(currency)\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDemonetized\u003c\/a\u003e:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCurrency:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Greek_drachma\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eThird modern drachma\u003c\/a\u003e (1954–2001)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eDemocritus: The Man Who Invented the Atom — 2,400 Years Early\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBorn around \u003cstrong\u003e460 BC\u003c\/strong\u003e in Abdera, Thrace, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Democritus\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDemocritus\u003c\/a\u003e proposed one of the most radical ideas in the history of human thought: that all matter is composed of tiny, indivisible particles he called \u003cstrong\u003eatomos\u003c\/strong\u003e — \"uncuttable.\" He arrived at this conclusion not through experiment, but through pure philosophical reasoning. He was largely ignored for two millennia. Then, in \u003cstrong\u003e1803\u003c\/strong\u003e, John Dalton revived the atomic theory with experimental evidence, and by the 20th century, the atom had become the foundation of modern physics, chemistry, and the nuclear age. The building shown alongside his statue on this note — the \u003cstrong\u003eNational Center for Scientific Research \"Demokritos\"\u003c\/strong\u003e — was named in his honor and houses Greece's only nuclear research reactor. A philosopher on a banknote, next to an atom symbol: rarely has a note's design been so intellectually coherent.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Academy of Athens: Greece's Temple of Knowledge\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eAcademy of Athens\u003c\/strong\u003e on the reverse is one of the most photographed buildings in Greece — a gleaming neoclassical palace completed in \u003cstrong\u003e1885\u003c\/strong\u003e, designed by Danish architect \u003cstrong\u003eTheophil Hansen\u003c\/strong\u003e as part of the \"Athens Trilogy\" alongside the National Library and the University of Athens. Its facade features colossal statues of \u003cstrong\u003eAthena\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eApollo\u003c\/strong\u003e flanking the entrance, with \u003cstrong\u003ePlato\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eSocrates\u003c\/strong\u003e seated at the base. The Academy is Greece's highest research institution, founded in \u003cstrong\u003e1926\u003c\/strong\u003e. That such a building graces the 100-drachma note — the workhorse denomination of everyday commerce — says everything about how Greeks see the relationship between knowledge and daily life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout Greece\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e \"Greece\" derives from Latin \u003cem\u003eGraecia\u003c\/em\u003e, the Roman name for the region; Greeks call their country \u003cstrong\u003eHellas\u003c\/strong\u003e (Ελλάς), from \u003cem\u003eHellen\u003c\/em\u003e, the mythological ancestor of the Greek people\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCapital:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Athens\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAthens\u003c\/a\u003e — city pop. ~664,000; metro pop. ~3.6 million\n    \u003cul\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e Named after the goddess \u003cstrong\u003eAthena\u003c\/strong\u003e, patron deity of the city; the origin of Athena's own name remains debated — possibly pre-Greek\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePopulation:\u003c\/strong\u003e ~10.4 million (UN 2023) — similar to Michigan or Portugal\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArea:\u003c\/strong\u003e 131,957 km² (50,949 mi²) — similar to Alabama or England\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGDP per capita (\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Purchasing_power_parity\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePPP\u003c\/a\u003e):\u003c\/strong\u003e ~$40,000 (IMF 2024)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMain exports:\u003c\/strong\u003e Petroleum products, aluminum, pharmaceuticals, olive oil, cotton, tobacco, fruits\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBorders:\u003c\/strong\u003e Albania, North Macedonia, Bulgaria (north); Turkey (northeast); surrounded by Aegean, Ionian, and Mediterranean seas\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOfficial\/spoken languages:\u003c\/strong\u003e Greek (official); minority languages include Turkish, Macedonian, Albanian\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEthnicities:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Greeks\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGreeks\u003c\/a\u003e (~91%); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Albanians_in_Greece\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAlbanians\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bulgarians_in_Greece\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBulgarians\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Romani_people_in_Greece\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eRoma\u003c\/a\u003e, and others\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMemberships:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_Nations\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eUnited Nations\u003c\/a\u003e (founding member, 1945); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/NATO\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNATO\u003c\/a\u003e (1952); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/European_Union\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eEuropean Union\u003c\/a\u003e (1981, first enlargement); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Eurozone\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eEurozone\u003c\/a\u003e (2001, replacing the drachma)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSovereignty:\u003c\/strong\u003e Independence from the Ottoman Empire declared \u003cstrong\u003e1821\u003c\/strong\u003e; recognized 1830; modern republic established 1974 after the fall of the military junta\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eGreece Unfiltered\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDebt crisis:\u003c\/strong\u003e Greece triggered the worst sovereign debt crisis in EU history (2010–2018), receiving three international bailouts totaling over €289 billion — the largest in history at the time\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAncient democracy:\u003c\/strong\u003e Athens invented democracy around \u003cstrong\u003e508 BC\u003c\/strong\u003e — and then lost it repeatedly to oligarchs, tyrants, Macedonians, Romans, Byzantines, and Ottomans for the next 2,400 years\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eShipping dominance:\u003c\/strong\u003e Greek shipowners control roughly \u003cstrong\u003e20% of global shipping tonnage\u003c\/strong\u003e — more than any other nation — despite Greece having only 0.13% of the world's population\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMilitary junta:\u003c\/strong\u003e From \u003cstrong\u003e1967 to 1974\u003c\/strong\u003e, Greece was ruled by a military dictatorship (the \"Regime of the Colonels\") — this note was issued the very year the junta seized power\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAntikythera mechanism:\u003c\/strong\u003e The watermark references the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Antikythera_Ephebe\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAntikythera Ephebe\u003c\/a\u003e, a bronze statue of a youth from the same shipwreck that yielded the \u003cstrong\u003eAntikythera mechanism\u003c\/strong\u003e — a 2,000-year-old analog computer that calculated astronomical positions\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOldest city in Europe:\u003c\/strong\u003e Athens has been continuously inhabited for at least \u003cstrong\u003e7,000 years\u003c\/strong\u003e, making it one of the oldest cities in the world\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNuclear research:\u003c\/strong\u003e The Demokritos center depicted on this note operates Greece's only nuclear research reactor, used for medical isotope production and materials science — not weapons\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOwn this note and hold the atom in your hands — Democritus dreamed it, the 20th century proved it, and Greece put it on its money. A 100-drachma note that carries more intellectual history per square centimeter than almost any other banknote ever printed.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"World Money Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52634093650231,"sku":"GR196FVF","price":1.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0969\/7165\/3431\/files\/196-FVF-OR.png?v=1783478441"},{"product_id":"greece-p197-500-drachmas-1968-fvf","title":"Greece P197 500 Drachmas 1968 FVF—Great Eleusinian Relief—Demeter—Knossos Goat","description":"\u003cp\u003eOne of the most mythologically rich banknotes Greece ever produced — the \u003cstrong\u003eGreat Eleusinian Relief\u003c\/strong\u003e on the front, a \u003cstrong\u003eMinoan wild goat carving from Knossos\u003c\/strong\u003e on the back, and the ghost of the \u003cstrong\u003eAntikythera Ephebe\u003c\/strong\u003e in the watermark. Three masterpieces of ancient Greek art on a single note, issued under the Regime of the Colonels.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eFront\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColor:\u003c\/strong\u003e Olive on multicolor\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGreat Eleusinian Relief:\u003c\/strong\u003e The \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Great_Eleusinian_Relief\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGreat Eleusinian Relief\u003c\/a\u003e at center — depicting \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Demeter\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDemeter\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Triptolemos\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eTriptolemos\u003c\/a\u003e, and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Persephone\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePersephone\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWatermark area:\u003c\/strong\u003e Blank area at left reserved for watermark\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDenomination:\u003c\/strong\u003e Value and date on multicolored guilloches at right\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSignatures:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dimitrios_Galanis\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDimitrios Galanis\u003c\/a\u003e (Gov., Bank of Greece); Manager signature unknown\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEngraver:\u003c\/strong\u003e Lambros Orfanos\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eBack\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColor:\u003c\/strong\u003e Olive on multicolor\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eKnossos goat:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ancient carving from \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Knossos\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKnossos\u003c\/a\u003e depicting a wild goat and its kid at bottom left\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFruits and printer's name:\u003c\/strong\u003e At bottom center\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWatermark area:\u003c\/strong\u003e Blank area at right\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEngraver:\u003c\/strong\u003e Georgios Angelopoulos\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eOther Characteristics\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCatalog numbers:\u003c\/strong\u003e P-197a; Numista N#205365\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWatermark:\u003c\/strong\u003e Head of the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Antikythera_Ephebe\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAntikythera Ephebe\u003c\/a\u003e — a bronze statue of a youth recovered from an ancient shipwreck\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eComposition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Paper\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 158 × 74 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIssuing entity:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bank_of_Greece\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBank of Greece\u003c\/a\u003e (Τράπεζα της Ελλάδος)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePrinter:\u003c\/strong\u003e Banknote and Currency Printing Office (Ίδρυμα Εκτυπώσεως Τραπεζογραμματίων και Αξιών), Greece (1947–date)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Demonetization_(currency)\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDemonetized\u003c\/a\u003e:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSignatures:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dimitrios_Galanis\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDimitrios Galanis\u003c\/a\u003e (Gov.); Manager unknown\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCurrency:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Greek_drachma\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eThird modern drachma\u003c\/a\u003e (1954–2001)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Great Eleusinian Relief: The Most Sacred Image in Ancient Greece\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe central image on this note is not just any sculpture — it is the \u003cstrong\u003eGreat Eleusinian Relief\u003c\/strong\u003e, one of the most revered works of art in the ancient world, carved around \u003cstrong\u003e440–430 BC\u003c\/strong\u003e and now housed in the \u003cstrong\u003eNational Archaeological Museum of Athens\u003c\/strong\u003e. It depicts three figures from the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Eleusinian_Mysteries\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eEleusinian Mysteries\u003c\/a\u003e: \u003cstrong\u003eDemeter\u003c\/strong\u003e, goddess of the harvest, presenting a sheaf of wheat to the young prince \u003cstrong\u003eTriptolemos\u003c\/strong\u003e, while \u003cstrong\u003ePersephone\u003c\/strong\u003e crowns him with a wreath. The scene encodes the founding myth of agriculture itself — Demeter's gift of grain to humanity, transmitted through Triptolemos, who was sent across the world to teach mortals how to grow food. The Eleusinian Mysteries were the most important religious rites in ancient Greece, practiced for nearly \u003cstrong\u003e2,000 years\u003c\/strong\u003e at Eleusis, just west of Athens. Their content was so secret that initiates faced death for revealing them — and to this day, we still don't know exactly what happened inside. Putting this image on the 500-drachma note — the highest denomination in everyday circulation — was a statement of civilizational pride.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Knossos Goat: Minoan Art from 3,500 Years Ago\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe reverse features an ancient carving from \u003cstrong\u003eKnossos\u003c\/strong\u003e, the great palace complex of the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Minoan_civilization\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMinoan civilization\u003c\/a\u003e on Crete, depicting a \u003cstrong\u003ewild goat (agrimi) and its kid\u003c\/strong\u003e. The Minoans were Europe's first advanced civilization, flourishing from around \u003cstrong\u003e2700 to 1450 BC\u003c\/strong\u003e — centuries before classical Greece. Their art is remarkable for its naturalism, energy, and joy: dolphins leaping, bulls charging, goats nursing their young. The agrimi (Cretan wild goat, \u003cem\u003eCapra aegagrus cretica\u003c\/em\u003e) still roams the mountains of Crete today and remains a symbol of the island. By pairing a Minoan carving with the Eleusinian Relief, this note spans nearly \u003cstrong\u003e3,000 years\u003c\/strong\u003e of Greek artistic tradition on a single piece of paper.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout Greece\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e \"Greece\" derives from Latin \u003cem\u003eGraecia\u003c\/em\u003e, the Roman name for the region; Greeks call their country \u003cstrong\u003eHellas\u003c\/strong\u003e (Ελλάς), from \u003cem\u003eHellen\u003c\/em\u003e, the mythological ancestor of the Greek people\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCapital:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Athens\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAthens\u003c\/a\u003e — city pop. ~664,000; metro pop. ~3.6 million\n    \u003cul\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e Named after the goddess \u003cstrong\u003eAthena\u003c\/strong\u003e, patron deity of the city; the origin of Athena's own name remains debated — possibly pre-Greek\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePopulation:\u003c\/strong\u003e ~10.4 million (UN 2023) — similar to Michigan or Portugal\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArea:\u003c\/strong\u003e 131,957 km² (50,949 mi²) — similar to Alabama or England\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGDP per capita (\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Purchasing_power_parity\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePPP\u003c\/a\u003e):\u003c\/strong\u003e ~$40,000 (IMF 2024)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMain exports:\u003c\/strong\u003e Petroleum products, aluminum, pharmaceuticals, olive oil, cotton, tobacco, fruits\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBorders:\u003c\/strong\u003e Albania, North Macedonia, Bulgaria (north); Turkey (northeast); surrounded by Aegean, Ionian, and Mediterranean seas\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOfficial\/spoken languages:\u003c\/strong\u003e Greek (official); minority languages include Turkish, Macedonian, Albanian\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEthnicities:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Greeks\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGreeks\u003c\/a\u003e (~91%); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Albanians_in_Greece\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAlbanians\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bulgarians_in_Greece\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBulgarians\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Romani_people_in_Greece\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eRoma\u003c\/a\u003e, and others\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMemberships:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_Nations\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eUnited Nations\u003c\/a\u003e (founding member, 1945); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/NATO\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNATO\u003c\/a\u003e (1952); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/European_Union\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eEuropean Union\u003c\/a\u003e (1981, first enlargement); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Eurozone\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eEurozone\u003c\/a\u003e (2001, replacing the drachma)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSovereignty:\u003c\/strong\u003e Independence from the Ottoman Empire declared \u003cstrong\u003e1821\u003c\/strong\u003e; recognized 1830; modern republic established 1974 after the fall of the military junta\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eGreece Unfiltered\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eJunta note:\u003c\/strong\u003e This note was issued in \u003cstrong\u003e1969\u003c\/strong\u003e during the \"Regime of the Colonels\" — a military dictatorship that ruled Greece from 1967 to 1974; the junta chose ancient religious imagery for its highest denomination while suppressing modern political freedoms\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEleusinian Mysteries:\u003c\/strong\u003e The rites depicted on the front were practiced for nearly \u003cstrong\u003e2,000 years\u003c\/strong\u003e and their secrets were so well kept that we still don't know what initiates experienced inside the Telesterion at Eleusis\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMinoan mystery:\u003c\/strong\u003e The Minoan civilization — whose art appears on the reverse — collapsed suddenly around \u003cstrong\u003e1450 BC\u003c\/strong\u003e, possibly from the eruption of Thera (Santorini), one of the largest volcanic events in human history\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDebt crisis:\u003c\/strong\u003e Greece triggered the worst sovereign debt crisis in EU history (2010–2018), receiving three international bailouts totaling over €289 billion\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eShipping dominance:\u003c\/strong\u003e Greek shipowners control roughly \u003cstrong\u003e20% of global shipping tonnage\u003c\/strong\u003e — more than any other nation — despite Greece having only 0.13% of the world's population\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAntikythera mechanism:\u003c\/strong\u003e The watermark references the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Antikythera_Ephebe\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAntikythera Ephebe\u003c\/a\u003e, a bronze statue of a youth from the same shipwreck that yielded the \u003cstrong\u003eAntikythera mechanism\u003c\/strong\u003e — a 2,000-year-old analog computer that calculated astronomical positions\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOwn this note and hold 3,000 years of Greek civilization in your hands — Demeter's sacred gift on the front, a Minoan goat on the back, and a bronze youth in the watermark. The 500-drachma note is Greece's most mythologically dense banknote, and one of the most beautiful ever printed.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"World Money Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52634102333751,"sku":"GR197aFVF","price":1.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0969\/7165\/3431\/files\/197-FVF-OR.png?v=1783479391"},{"product_id":"greece-p198-1000-drachmas-1970-fvf","title":"Greece P198 1000 Drachmas 1970 FVF—Zeus—Amphitheater—Woman—Hydra Port","description":"\u003cp\u003eGreece's highest denomination of the 1964–1970 series brings together three of the ancient world's most iconic images: the \u003cstrong\u003eArtemision Bronze\u003c\/strong\u003e — possibly the greatest surviving Greek sculpture — the \u003cstrong\u003eTheatre of Epidaurus\u003c\/strong\u003e, and the timeless port of \u003cstrong\u003eHydra Island\u003c\/strong\u003e. Issued under the Regime of the Colonels and notable for having \u003cstrong\u003etwo different watermarks\u003c\/strong\u003e depending on which paper stock was used.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eFront\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColor:\u003c\/strong\u003e Brown on multicolor\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eZeus (Artemision Bronze):\u003c\/strong\u003e Statue of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Artemision_Bronze\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eZeus\u003c\/a\u003e (the Artemision Bronze, National Archaeological Museum, Athens) at left\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEpidaurus:\u003c\/strong\u003e Amphitheatre of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Epidaurus\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eEpidaurus\u003c\/a\u003e at lower center\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWatermark window:\u003c\/strong\u003e Blank area at right\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSignatures:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dimitrios_Galanis\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDimitrios Galanis\u003c\/a\u003e (Gov., Bank of Greece); Manager signature unknown\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEngraver:\u003c\/strong\u003e Lambros Orfanos\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDesigner:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yannis Stinis\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eBack\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColor:\u003c\/strong\u003e Brown on multicolor\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHydra:\u003c\/strong\u003e View of the port of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hydra,_Greece\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eHydra Island\u003c\/a\u003e at center-right\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWoman in local costume:\u003c\/strong\u003e At left\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEngraver:\u003c\/strong\u003e Georgios Angelopoulos\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDesigner:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yannis Stinis\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eOther Characteristics\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVarieties:\u003c\/strong\u003e You may receive any variety:\n    \u003cul\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eP-198a — Watermark: head of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Aphrodite\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAphrodite\u003c\/a\u003e (hair in a knot at top); prefix 01 only, serial numbers up to 860,000; ~12.9 million printed\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eP-198b — Watermark: head of the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Antikythera_Ephebe\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAntikythera Ephebe\u003c\/a\u003e (no hair knot); prefix 01 serial numbers above 860,000, and all prefixes 02+; ~1.07 billion printed\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003e\u003cem\u003eP-198as — Specimen (overprint SPECIMEN, serial 05Χ 000000) — not this listing\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCatalog numbers:\u003c\/strong\u003e P-198a \/ P-198b; Numista N#206926\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWatermark:\u003c\/strong\u003e Head of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Aphrodite\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAphrodite\u003c\/a\u003e (P-198a) or head of the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Antikythera_Ephebe\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAntikythera Ephebe\u003c\/a\u003e (P-198b) — a bronze statue of a youth recovered from an ancient shipwreck. To tell them apart: Aphrodite has her hair in a knot at the top of her head; the Ephebe does not.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eComposition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Paper\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 158 × 80 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIssuing entity:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bank_of_Greece\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBank of Greece\u003c\/a\u003e (Τράπεζα της Ελλάδος)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePrinter:\u003c\/strong\u003e Banknote and Currency Printing Office (Ίδρυμα Εκτυπώσεως Τραπεζογραμματίων και Αξιών), Greece (1947–date)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Demonetization_(currency)\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDemonetized\u003c\/a\u003e:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSignatures:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dimitrios_Galanis\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDimitrios Galanis\u003c\/a\u003e (Gov.); Manager unknown\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCurrency:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Greek_drachma\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eThird modern drachma\u003c\/a\u003e (1954–2001)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Artemision Bronze: The Greatest Statue That Almost Wasn’t\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe figure on the obverse is the \u003cstrong\u003eArtemision Bronze\u003c\/strong\u003e, a larger-than-life-size cast bronze statue recovered from the sea off Cape Artemision in \u003cstrong\u003e1926\u003c\/strong\u003e and now one of the crown jewels of the \u003cstrong\u003eNational Archaeological Museum of Athens\u003c\/strong\u003e. Dating to around \u003cstrong\u003e460 BC\u003c\/strong\u003e, it depicts a god — almost certainly \u003cstrong\u003eZeus\u003c\/strong\u003e — in the act of hurling a thunderbolt, his arms outstretched in perfect balance, his body a masterclass in Classical Greek idealism. The statue lay on the seabed for over 2,000 years after the ship carrying it sank. It is one of the very few original Greek bronzes to survive antiquity; almost all others were melted down during the Roman and Byzantine periods. That it ended up on the 1,000-drachma note — the highest denomination in circulation — was entirely fitting: this is Greece's most powerful image of divine authority.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eEpidaurus: The Theatre That Still Works\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eTheatre of Epidaurus\u003c\/strong\u003e, shown at the lower center of the obverse, was built around \u003cstrong\u003e340 BC\u003c\/strong\u003e by the architect Polykleitos the Younger and is the best-preserved ancient theatre in the world. It seats \u003cstrong\u003e14,000 people\u003c\/strong\u003e and is still used for performances today — its acoustics so perfect that a coin dropped at center stage can be heard from the back row. It was part of the sanctuary of \u003cstrong\u003eAsclepius\u003c\/strong\u003e, the god of medicine, where the sick came to be healed. The combination of theatre and healing was intentional: the Greeks believed that drama — tragedy and comedy — was itself a form of medicine for the soul. Epidaurus was designated a \u003cstrong\u003eUNESCO World Heritage Site\u003c\/strong\u003e in 1988.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eHydra: The Island That Banned Cars\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe reverse shows the port of \u003cstrong\u003eHydra\u003c\/strong\u003e, one of the most distinctive islands in Greece. Hydra has \u003cstrong\u003eno cars, no motorcycles, and no motorized vehicles of any kind\u003c\/strong\u003e — transport is by donkey, boat, or foot, as it has been for centuries. The island's stone harbor town, built by wealthy 18th-century sea captains, looks almost exactly as it did 200 years ago. In the \u003cstrong\u003e1950s and 1960s\u003c\/strong\u003e, Hydra became a magnet for artists and intellectuals — \u003cstrong\u003eLeonard Cohen\u003c\/strong\u003e lived there for years and wrote some of his most famous songs on the island. The woman in local costume at left represents the living folk tradition that Hydra has preserved more completely than almost anywhere else in Greece.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout Greece\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e \"Greece\" derives from Latin \u003cem\u003eGraecia\u003c\/em\u003e, the Roman name for the region; Greeks call their country \u003cstrong\u003eHellas\u003c\/strong\u003e (Ελλάς), from \u003cem\u003eHellen\u003c\/em\u003e, the mythological ancestor of the Greek people\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCapital:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Athens\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAthens\u003c\/a\u003e — city pop. ~664,000; metro pop. ~3.6 million\n    \u003cul\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e Named after the goddess \u003cstrong\u003eAthena\u003c\/strong\u003e, patron deity of the city; the origin of Athena's own name remains debated — possibly pre-Greek\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePopulation:\u003c\/strong\u003e ~10.4 million (UN 2023) — similar to Michigan or Portugal\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArea:\u003c\/strong\u003e 131,957 km² (50,949 mi²) — similar to Alabama or England\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGDP per capita (\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Purchasing_power_parity\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePPP\u003c\/a\u003e):\u003c\/strong\u003e ~$40,000 (IMF 2024)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMain exports:\u003c\/strong\u003e Petroleum products, aluminum, pharmaceuticals, olive oil, cotton, tobacco, fruits\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBorders:\u003c\/strong\u003e Albania, North Macedonia, Bulgaria (north); Turkey (northeast); surrounded by Aegean, Ionian, and Mediterranean seas\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOfficial\/spoken languages:\u003c\/strong\u003e Greek (official); minority languages include Turkish, Macedonian, Albanian\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEthnicities:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Greeks\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGreeks\u003c\/a\u003e (~91%); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Albanians_in_Greece\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAlbanians\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bulgarians_in_Greece\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBulgarians\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Romani_people_in_Greece\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eRoma\u003c\/a\u003e, and others\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMemberships:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_Nations\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eUnited Nations\u003c\/a\u003e (founding member, 1945); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/NATO\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNATO\u003c\/a\u003e (1952); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/European_Union\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eEuropean Union\u003c\/a\u003e (1981, first enlargement); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Eurozone\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eEurozone\u003c\/a\u003e (2001, replacing the drachma)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSovereignty:\u003c\/strong\u003e Independence from the Ottoman Empire declared \u003cstrong\u003e1821\u003c\/strong\u003e; recognized 1830; modern republic established 1974 after the fall of the military junta\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eGreece Unfiltered\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTwo watermarks:\u003c\/strong\u003e This note exists with two different watermarks because the Bank of Greece used up leftover paper stock from the \u003cstrong\u003e1956\u003c\/strong\u003e 1,000-drachma note (P-194) before switching to new stock — making the Aphrodite watermark variety (P-198a) significantly rarer at only ~12.9 million printed vs. over a billion for P-198b\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eJunta note:\u003c\/strong\u003e Issued in \u003cstrong\u003e1971\u003c\/strong\u003e under the Regime of the Colonels; the junta chose Zeus — king of the gods — for its highest denomination\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLeonard Cohen on Hydra:\u003c\/strong\u003e The island on the reverse was home to \u003cstrong\u003eLeonard Cohen\u003c\/strong\u003e in the early 1960s, where he wrote \u003cem\u003eBeautiful Losers\u003c\/em\u003e and began his musical career\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDebt crisis:\u003c\/strong\u003e Greece triggered the worst sovereign debt crisis in EU history (2010–2018), receiving three international bailouts totaling over €289 billion\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eShipping dominance:\u003c\/strong\u003e Greek shipowners control roughly \u003cstrong\u003e20% of global shipping tonnage\u003c\/strong\u003e — more than any other nation — despite Greece having only 0.13% of the world's population\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOldest city in Europe:\u003c\/strong\u003e Athens has been continuously inhabited for at least \u003cstrong\u003e7,000 years\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOwn this note and hold Zeus in your hands — the god of thunder cast in bronze, the world's most perfect theatre, and an island that chose donkeys over cars. The 1,000-drachma note is the crown of the 1964–1970 Greek series, and one of the most compelling banknotes ever issued.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"World Money Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52634112262455,"sku":"GR198FVF","price":2.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0969\/7165\/3431\/files\/198-FVF-OR.png?v=1783479083"},{"product_id":"greece-9-pcs-set-1964-1996-fvf","title":"Greece 9 Pcs Set 1964-1996 Circulated FVF Fine to Very Fine","description":"\u003cp\u003eNine banknotes. Thirty-two years of Greek history. From the \u003cstrong\u003eNymph Arethusa\u003c\/strong\u003e of 1964 to the \u003cstrong\u003erevolutionary poet Rigas Feraios\u003c\/strong\u003e of 1996, this set spans the full arc of the modern Greek drachma — from the reign of King Constantine II through the military junta, the restoration of democracy, and the final years before Greece adopted the euro. Every note tells a story. Together, they tell Greece’s.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat’s in the Set\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eP-195 — 50 Drachmai 1964:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Arethusa_(mythology)\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eArethusa\u003c\/a\u003e, the nymph who became a spring, at left; ancient Greek galley at right. Blue on multicolor. One of antiquity’s most dramatic transformation myths on an everyday note.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eP-196 — 100 Drachmai 1966\/1967:\u003c\/strong\u003e Statue of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Democritus\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDemocritus\u003c\/a\u003e — the philosopher who invented atomic theory 2,400 years before it was proven — alongside the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/NCSR_Demokritos\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDemokritos nuclear research center\u003c\/a\u003e. Red on multicolor. Reverse: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Academy_of_Athens\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAcademy of Athens\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eP-197 — 500 Drachmai 1968:\u003c\/strong\u003e The \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Great_Eleusinian_Relief\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGreat Eleusinian Relief\u003c\/a\u003e — \u003cstrong\u003eDemeter, Triptolemos, and Persephone\u003c\/strong\u003e, the founding myth of agriculture — on the most mythologically rich note in the series. Olive on multicolor. Reverse: Minoan wild goat carving from \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Knossos\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKnossos\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eP-198 — 1000 Drachmai 1970:\u003c\/strong\u003e The \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Artemision_Bronze\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eArtemision Bronze\u003c\/a\u003e — possibly the greatest surviving Greek sculpture, depicting \u003cstrong\u003eZeus\u003c\/strong\u003e hurling a thunderbolt — alongside the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Epidaurus\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eTheatre of Epidaurus\u003c\/a\u003e. Brown on multicolor. Reverse: port of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hydra,_Greece\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eHydra Island\u003c\/a\u003e and a woman in local costume.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eP-199 — 50 Drachmai 1978:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Poseidon\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePoseidon\u003c\/a\u003e, god of the sea, on the first note of the post-junta democratic era. Reverse: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Laskarina_Bouboulina\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eLaskarina Bouboulina\u003c\/a\u003e commanding her fleet at the siege of Nafplio.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eP-200 — 100 Drachmai 1978:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Athena\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAthena of Piraeus\u003c\/a\u003e and the University of Athens on the front; \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Adamantios_Korais\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAdamantios Korais\u003c\/a\u003e and the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Arkadi_Monastery\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eArkadi Monastery\u003c\/a\u003e on the back.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eP-201 — 500 Drachmes 1983:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ioannis_Kapodistrias\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eIoannis Kapodistrias\u003c\/a\u003e, first head of the modern Greek state, and the Corfu fortress — a note marking Greece’s democratic continuity.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eP-202 — 1000 Drachmes 1987:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Apollo\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eApollo\u003c\/a\u003e, god of light and prophecy, alongside the Discobolus and the Temple of Hera at Olympia — one of the most elegant notes of the late drachma era.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eP-204 — 200 Drachmes 1996:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rigas_Feraios\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eRigas Feraios\u003c\/a\u003e, the revolutionary poet and martyr executed by the Ottomans in \u003cstrong\u003e1798\u003c\/strong\u003e, whose writings helped ignite the Greek War of Independence.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eSet Details\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Fine to Very Fine (FVF) — circulated with moderate to light wear, fully original\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNotes:\u003c\/strong\u003e 9 banknotes total\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eYears spanned:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1964–1996\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCurrency:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Greek_drachma\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eThird modern drachma\u003c\/a\u003e (1954–2001)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Demonetization_(currency)\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDemonetized\u003c\/a\u003e:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes — all notes\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eComposition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Paper\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIssuing entity:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bank_of_Greece\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBank of Greece\u003c\/a\u003e (Τράπεζα της Ελλάδος)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHS Code:\u003c\/strong\u003e 4907.00\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThirty-Two Years on Paper: The Story of the Modern Drachma\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe nine notes in this set span one of the most turbulent and transformative periods in modern Greek history. The \u003cstrong\u003e1964–1970 series\u003c\/strong\u003e (P-195 through P-198) was issued under \u003cstrong\u003eKing Constantine II\u003c\/strong\u003e and then continued under the \u003cstrong\u003eRegime of the Colonels\u003c\/strong\u003e — the military junta that seized power in \u003cstrong\u003eApril 1967\u003c\/strong\u003e and ruled until \u003cstrong\u003e1974\u003c\/strong\u003e. The junta chose ancient gods and mythological scenes for its highest denominations: Zeus on the 1,000, the Eleusinian goddesses on the 500, Democritus on the 100. Ancient glory as a substitute for democratic legitimacy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003e1978 series\u003c\/strong\u003e (P-199 and P-200) marks the restoration of democracy. \u003cstrong\u003ePoseidon\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eAthena\u003c\/strong\u003e — the two divine rivals for Athens itself — appear on the first notes printed by the new republic. The \u003cstrong\u003e1983 and 1987 notes\u003c\/strong\u003e (P-201 and P-202) reflect Greece’s growing confidence as a \u003cstrong\u003eEuropean Union member\u003c\/strong\u003e (joined 1981). And the \u003cstrong\u003e1996 note\u003c\/strong\u003e (P-204) closes the set with \u003cstrong\u003eRigas Feraios\u003c\/strong\u003e as Greece prepared for its final decade with the drachma before adopting the euro in \u003cstrong\u003e2001\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Drachma: One of the Oldest Currencies in History\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003edrachma\u003c\/strong\u003e is one of the oldest named currencies in the world, first used in ancient Greece around the \u003cstrong\u003e6th century BC\u003c\/strong\u003e. The word comes from the Greek \u003cem\u003edrattesthai\u003c\/em\u003e — “to grasp” — originally referring to a handful of metal rods used as currency. The modern drachma was reintroduced after Greek independence in \u003cstrong\u003e1832\u003c\/strong\u003e and survived — through wars, occupations, hyperinflation, and dictatorships — until \u003cstrong\u003eJanuary 1, 2002\u003c\/strong\u003e, when Greece adopted the euro. The notes in this set represent the drachma’s final, most stable era: the \u003cstrong\u003eThird Modern Drachma\u003c\/strong\u003e (1954–2001).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eP-195: Arethusa — The Nymph Who Became a Spring\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe figure on the 50 Drachmai 1964 is \u003cstrong\u003eArethusa\u003c\/strong\u003e, a naiad nymph from Greek mythology whose story is one of the most dramatic in the ancient canon. Pursued by the river god \u003cstrong\u003eAlpheus\u003c\/strong\u003e across land and sea, Arethusa called upon the goddess \u003cstrong\u003eArtemis\u003c\/strong\u003e for help. Artemis transformed her into an underground stream that flowed beneath the sea from the Peloponnese all the way to \u003cstrong\u003eSicily\u003c\/strong\u003e, where she emerged as the famous freshwater spring on the island of \u003cstrong\u003eOrtygia\u003c\/strong\u003e in Syracuse. The spring still flows today. Ancient Greeks believed that objects thrown into the \u003cstrong\u003eAlpheus River\u003c\/strong\u003e would resurface at Arethusa’s spring in Sicily — a myth so vivid that even \u003cstrong\u003eCicero\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003ePindar\u003c\/strong\u003e wrote of it. The reverse pairs her with a composition of an old and a modern shipyard — a deliberate statement that Greece’s identity is inseparable from the sea, across every era.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eP-196: Democritus — The Man Who Invented the Atom 2,400 Years Early\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBorn around \u003cstrong\u003e460 BC\u003c\/strong\u003e in Abdera, Thrace, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Democritus\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDemocritus\u003c\/a\u003e proposed one of the most radical ideas in the history of human thought: that all matter is composed of tiny, indivisible particles he called \u003cstrong\u003eatomos\u003c\/strong\u003e — “uncuttable.” He arrived at this conclusion not through experiment, but through pure philosophical reasoning. He was largely ignored for two millennia. Then, in \u003cstrong\u003e1803\u003c\/strong\u003e, John Dalton revived the atomic theory with experimental evidence, and by the 20th century, the atom had become the foundation of modern physics, chemistry, and the nuclear age. The building shown alongside his statue — the \u003cstrong\u003eNational Center for Scientific Research “Demokritos”\u003c\/strong\u003e — was named in his honor and houses Greece’s only nuclear research reactor. The reverse features the \u003cstrong\u003eAcademy of Athens\u003c\/strong\u003e, completed in \u003cstrong\u003e1885\u003c\/strong\u003e, designed by Danish architect \u003cstrong\u003eTheophil Hansen\u003c\/strong\u003e, with colossal statues of Athena and Apollo flanking the entrance and Plato and Socrates seated at the base.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eP-197: The Great Eleusinian Relief — The Most Sacred Image in Ancient Greece\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe central image on the 500 Drachmai 1968 is the \u003cstrong\u003eGreat Eleusinian Relief\u003c\/strong\u003e, one of the most revered works of art in the ancient world, carved around \u003cstrong\u003e440–430 BC\u003c\/strong\u003e and now housed in the \u003cstrong\u003eNational Archaeological Museum of Athens\u003c\/strong\u003e. It depicts \u003cstrong\u003eDemeter\u003c\/strong\u003e, goddess of the harvest, presenting a sheaf of wheat to the young prince \u003cstrong\u003eTriptolemos\u003c\/strong\u003e, while \u003cstrong\u003ePersephone\u003c\/strong\u003e crowns him with a wreath — the founding myth of agriculture itself. The Eleusinian Mysteries were practiced for nearly \u003cstrong\u003e2,000 years\u003c\/strong\u003e at Eleusis; their content was so secret that initiates faced death for revealing them, and we still don’t know exactly what happened inside. The reverse features a Minoan wild goat carving from \u003cstrong\u003eKnossos\u003c\/strong\u003e — Europe’s first advanced civilization, flourishing from \u003cstrong\u003e2700 to 1450 BC\u003c\/strong\u003e. Together, front and back span nearly \u003cstrong\u003e3,000 years\u003c\/strong\u003e of Greek artistic tradition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eP-198: The Artemision Bronze — The Greatest Statue That Almost Wasn’t\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe figure on the 1000 Drachmai 1970 is the \u003cstrong\u003eArtemision Bronze\u003c\/strong\u003e, a larger-than-life cast bronze statue recovered from the sea off Cape Artemision in \u003cstrong\u003e1926\u003c\/strong\u003e, now one of the crown jewels of the \u003cstrong\u003eNational Archaeological Museum of Athens\u003c\/strong\u003e. Dating to around \u003cstrong\u003e460 BC\u003c\/strong\u003e, it depicts \u003cstrong\u003eZeus\u003c\/strong\u003e in the act of hurling a thunderbolt, his arms outstretched in perfect balance. The statue lay on the seabed for over 2,000 years; it is one of the very few original Greek bronzes to survive antiquity. Also on the front: the \u003cstrong\u003eTheatre of Epidaurus\u003c\/strong\u003e, built around \u003cstrong\u003e340 BC\u003c\/strong\u003e, seating 14,000 people, still used for performances today — its acoustics so perfect that a coin dropped at center stage can be heard from the back row. The reverse shows the port of \u003cstrong\u003eHydra\u003c\/strong\u003e, the car-free island where \u003cstrong\u003eLeonard Cohen\u003c\/strong\u003e lived in the 1960s and wrote some of his most famous songs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eP-199: Poseidon and Bouboulina — The God and the Admiral\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePoseidon — the \u003cstrong\u003eEarth-Shaker\u003c\/strong\u003e, ruler of the seas, credited with causing earthquakes and storms with a single strike of his trident — appears on the first note of the post-junta democratic era. For the ancient Greeks, who depended on the sea for trade, war, and survival, Poseidon was both protector and terror. The reverse honors \u003cstrong\u003eLaskarina Bouboulina\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cstrong\u003e1771–1825\u003c\/strong\u003e), a wealthy widow from Spetses who used her own fortune to build and arm a fleet of warships, commanding her flagship \u003cstrong\u003eAgamemnon\u003c\/strong\u003e personally during the Greek War of Independence. She directed cannon fire at the fortress of \u003cstrong\u003ePalamidi\u003c\/strong\u003e at the siege of Nafplio and was posthumously honored as an \u003cstrong\u003eAdmiral of the Russian Imperial Navy\u003c\/strong\u003e — the only woman ever to hold that rank. She was assassinated in 1825, shot through a window during a family dispute.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eP-200: Athena, Korais, and the Monastery That Chose Death\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eAthena of Piraeus\u003c\/strong\u003e on the front — a stunning \u003cstrong\u003e4th-century BC\u003c\/strong\u003e bronze discovered accidentally in \u003cstrong\u003e1959\u003c\/strong\u003e during construction work in Piraeus harbor, standing nearly 2.4 meters tall — is paired with the \u003cstrong\u003eUniversity of Athens\u003c\/strong\u003e, founded in \u003cstrong\u003e1837\u003c\/strong\u003e, the first university in the modern Greek state. The reverse honors \u003cstrong\u003eAdamantios Korais\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cstrong\u003e1748–1833\u003c\/strong\u003e), who spent most of his life in Paris yet did more for Greek national identity than almost anyone who stayed home — creating \u003cem\u003eKatharevousa\u003c\/em\u003e, a reformed literary Greek that bridged ancient and modern forms, and corresponding with \u003cstrong\u003eThomas Jefferson\u003c\/strong\u003e. Behind him: the \u003cstrong\u003eArkadi Monastery\u003c\/strong\u003e in Crete, where on \u003cstrong\u003eNovember 9, 1866\u003c\/strong\u003e, surrounded by Ottoman forces, the abbot ordered the powder magazine ignited rather than surrender — killing hundreds and shocking Europe into supporting Cretan independence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eP-201: Kapodistrias — The Diplomat Who Built a Nation\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIoannis Kapodistrias\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cstrong\u003e1776–1831\u003c\/strong\u003e), depicted on the 500 Drachmes 1983, was the first head of state of independent Greece — a Corfiot aristocrat who had served as Foreign Minister of Russia before returning to lead his newly liberated homeland. He established Greece’s first modern institutions: a national currency, a postal system, schools, and a professional army. He was assassinated in \u003cstrong\u003e1831\u003c\/strong\u003e by political rivals, just three years into his tenure — a martyr of Greek state-building. The Corfu fortress on the reverse is a reminder of his island origins and the Venetian-era fortifications that shaped the Ionian Islands’ distinct identity within Greece.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eP-202: Apollo and the Discobolus — Mind and Body at Olympia\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eApollo\u003c\/strong\u003e, god of light, music, poetry, and prophecy, appears on the 1000 Drachmes 1987 alongside the \u003cstrong\u003eDiscobolus\u003c\/strong\u003e — the famous discus thrower — and the \u003cstrong\u003eTemple of Hera at Olympia\u003c\/strong\u003e, the oldest temple at the site of the ancient Olympic Games. The pairing is deliberate: Apollo represents the Greek ideal of the \u003cem\u003ekalos kagathos\u003c\/em\u003e — the beautiful and the good, mind and body in harmony. The Olympic Games originated at Olympia in \u003cstrong\u003e776 BC\u003c\/strong\u003e and were held every four years for over a millennium before being banned by the Roman Emperor Theodosius I in \u003cstrong\u003e393 AD\u003c\/strong\u003e. They were revived in \u003cstrong\u003eAthens in 1896\u003c\/strong\u003e. The Temple of Hera, dating to around \u003cstrong\u003e600 BC\u003c\/strong\u003e, is where the Olympic flame is still lit today before every modern Games.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eP-204: Rigas Feraios — The Poet Who Died for a Dream\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRigas Feraios\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cstrong\u003e1757–1798\u003c\/strong\u003e), the final figure in this set, was a Greek revolutionary, poet, and visionary who dreamed of a Balkan federation free from Ottoman rule — decades before Greek independence was achieved. His \u003cem\u003eThourios\u003c\/em\u003e (War Hymn) became the battle cry of the Greek independence movement: \u003cem\u003e“It is better to live one hour as a free man than forty years as a slave.”\u003c\/em\u003e He was arrested by Austrian authorities in \u003cstrong\u003e1797\u003c\/strong\u003e, handed over to the Ottomans, and strangled in \u003cstrong\u003e1798\u003c\/strong\u003e in Belgrade — his body thrown into the Danube. He never saw the revolution he inspired. The reverse of this note depicts \u003cstrong\u003eThe Secret School\u003c\/strong\u003e, a painting by Nikolaos Gyzis showing a Greek Orthodox priest secretly teaching children to read Greek during the Ottoman occupation — one of the most iconic images in Greek national consciousness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout Greece\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e “Greece” derives from Latin \u003cem\u003eGraecia\u003c\/em\u003e; Greeks call their country \u003cstrong\u003eHellas\u003c\/strong\u003e (Ελλάς), from \u003cem\u003eHellen\u003c\/em\u003e, the mythological ancestor of the Greek people\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCapital:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Athens\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAthens\u003c\/a\u003e — city pop. ~664,000; metro pop. ~3.6 million\n    \u003cul\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e Named after the goddess \u003cstrong\u003eAthena\u003c\/strong\u003e; the origin of Athena’s own name remains debated — possibly pre-Greek\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePopulation:\u003c\/strong\u003e ~10.4 million (UN 2023) — similar to Michigan or Portugal\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArea:\u003c\/strong\u003e 131,957 km² (50,949 mi²) — similar to Alabama or England\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGDP per capita (\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Purchasing_power_parity\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePPP\u003c\/a\u003e):\u003c\/strong\u003e ~$40,000 (IMF 2024)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMain exports:\u003c\/strong\u003e Petroleum products, aluminum, pharmaceuticals, olive oil, cotton, tobacco, fruits\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBorders:\u003c\/strong\u003e Albania, North Macedonia, Bulgaria (north); Turkey (northeast); surrounded by Aegean, Ionian, and Mediterranean seas\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMemberships:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_Nations\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eUnited Nations\u003c\/a\u003e (founding member, 1945); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/NATO\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNATO\u003c\/a\u003e (1952); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/European_Union\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eEuropean Union\u003c\/a\u003e (1981); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Eurozone\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eEurozone\u003c\/a\u003e (2001)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSovereignty:\u003c\/strong\u003e Independence from the Ottoman Empire declared \u003cstrong\u003e1821\u003c\/strong\u003e; recognized 1830; modern republic established 1974\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eGreece Unfiltered\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDebt crisis:\u003c\/strong\u003e Greece triggered the worst sovereign debt crisis in EU history (2010–2018), receiving three international bailouts totaling over €289 billion\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAncient democracy:\u003c\/strong\u003e Athens invented democracy around \u003cstrong\u003e508 BC\u003c\/strong\u003e — and then lost it repeatedly for the next 2,400 years\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eShipping dominance:\u003c\/strong\u003e Greek shipowners control roughly \u003cstrong\u003e20% of global shipping tonnage\u003c\/strong\u003e — more than any other nation — despite Greece having only 0.13% of the world’s population\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMilitary junta:\u003c\/strong\u003e From \u003cstrong\u003e1967 to 1974\u003c\/strong\u003e, Greece was ruled by a military dictatorship — four of the nine notes in this set were issued during that period\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOldest city in Europe:\u003c\/strong\u003e Athens has been continuously inhabited for at least \u003cstrong\u003e7,000 years\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThe last drachma:\u003c\/strong\u003e On \u003cstrong\u003eJanuary 1, 2002\u003c\/strong\u003e, Greece retired the drachma after 2,600 years of use — making every note in this set a piece of one of history’s longest-running currencies\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOwn all nine and own the arc of modern Greece — from a nymph fleeing a river god to a revolutionary poet facing an Ottoman firing squad, with Zeus, Athena, Poseidon, and Apollo in between. This is not just a banknote set. It is a civilization in nine pieces of paper.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"World Money Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52634138444087,"sku":"GR-SET-9-FVF","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0969\/7165\/3431\/files\/Set_9_pcs.png?v=1783515395"}],"url":"https:\/\/worldmoneystore.com\/collections\/greece.oembed","provider":"World Money Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}