{"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","url":"https:\/\/worldmoneystore.com\/products\/greece-p200-100-drachmai-1978-fvf-athena-scholar-monastery","provider":"World Money Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}