{"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","url":"https:\/\/worldmoneystore.com\/products\/greece-p199-50-drachmai-1978-fvf-sea-god-poseidon-woman-admiral-warship-armer","provider":"World Money Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}