{"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\/products\/greece-9-pcs-set-1964-1996-fvf","provider":"World Money Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}