{"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","url":"https:\/\/worldmoneystore.com\/products\/greece-5-pcs-set-50-100-200-500-1000-drachmes-1973-1996-fvf-fine-very-fine","provider":"World Money Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}