{"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","url":"https:\/\/worldmoneystore.com\/products\/greece-p202-1000-drachmes-1987-fvf-apollo-discobolus-temple-hera","provider":"World Money Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}