{"product_id":"greece-p204-200-drachmes-1996-fvf-rigas-feraios-secret-school","title":"Greece P204 200 Drachmes 1996 FVF—Rigas Feraios—The Secret School","description":"\u003cp\u003eA vivid orange note from the final years of the Greek drachma, honoring a revolutionary poet-martyr who died for Greek freedom before it arrived — and a legendary painting of children learning in secret under Ottoman occupation.\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\u003eOrange 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\/Rigas_Feraios\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eRigas Velestinlis-Feraios\u003c\/a\u003e — Greek revolutionary, poet, and proto-nationalist martyr, executed by the Ottomans in 1798\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDesign elements:\u003c\/strong\u003e People playing and singing; the quote \u003cem\u003e\"The one who thinks freely, thinks well\"\u003c\/em\u003e (note: originally written by Swiss scientist \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Albrecht_von_Haller\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAlbrecht von Haller\u003c\/a\u003e, misattributed to Rigas on the note)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSignatures:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lucas_Papademos\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eLukas Papadimos\u003c\/a\u003e, Gov.; Konstantinos Argyropoulos, Manager\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDesigner:\u003c\/strong\u003e Pericles Sotiriou\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\u003eOrange on multicolor underprint\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePainting:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Secret_School\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eThe Secret School\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e — an oil painting by \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nikolaos_Gyzis\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNikolaos Gyzis\u003c\/a\u003e (1885), depicting a Greek Orthodox priest secretly teaching children by candlelight during Ottoman rule\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDesigner:\u003c\/strong\u003e Nikos Nikolaou\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-204; Numista N#204828\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWatermark:\u003c\/strong\u003e Head of King Philip II of Macedonia\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 129 × 65 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, 2012\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSignatures:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lucas_Papademos\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eLukas Papadimos\u003c\/a\u003e, Gov.; Konstantinos Argyropoulos, 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 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 this note — \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 this banknote. 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\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 200 Drachmes and hold a man who died for a country that didn't exist yet, and a painting of children who refused to let their language die — two acts of defiance on a single orange note.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"World Money Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52633972441399,"sku":"GR204FVF","price":0.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0969\/7165\/3431\/files\/204-FVF-or.png?v=1783470850","url":"https:\/\/worldmoneystore.com\/products\/greece-p204-200-drachmes-1996-fvf-rigas-feraios-secret-school","provider":"World Money Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}