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1978 Greece 100 Drachmas Banknote 43760718

$4.25 AUD

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On offer here is a middle grade example of a 1978 100 Drachmas currency banknote from Greece.

At this price it makes an excellent collection filler.

The theme on this note is education and its contribution to the nation’s independence.

It is a large note and the true quality is very obvious here in the high resolution pictures displayed.

 

SKU

Design

1978 Greece 100 Drachmas 43760718

Date of Issue: 8 December 1978.

Theme: Education and its contribution to the nation’s independence.

Obverse: Head of Athena of Piraeus, goddess of wisdom and crafts, war and strategy, and inventions in science, industry, art and agriculture, a bronze statue from an Archeological Museum of Piraeus, wearing a crested Corinthian helmet, with Medusa’s locks visible at her neck. Neoclassical headquarters of the University of Athens.

Reverse: Adamantios Korais (1748-1833), a classical scholar and medical doctor who earned the title of “Teacher of the Greek Nation” for his role in the intellectual revival that took place in Greece before the outbreak of the Greek War of Independence in 1821. The image is based on a portrait in the National Historical Museum in Athens. Church of Arkadi Monastery in Crete, a symbol of Greek independence from Turkey.

Watermark: Head of Charioteer of Delphi (Heniokhos), commissioned by Polyzalus, Delphi Archeological Museum.
Predominant colour: Light brown / red.
Printer: Idryma Trapezis Tis Ellados.
Dimensions: 158 x 67 mm
Catalogue: P.200b

History

The Piraeus Athena was discovered in 1959, by workers who were drilling underground to install pipes. Bronze was first hit 1.5 meters below the ground; a few days later, they uncovered the statue at the intersection of Georgiou I Street and Philonos Street. The excavation of the statue was led by Efthymios Mastrokostas. The Piraeus Athena was found with three more large bronze statues, along with other artifacts. The Piraeus Athena was discovered in very good condition; however, it underwent irreparable damage after being abandoned on the damp floor of the Piraeus Museum according to the scholar, Steinhauer.

There are various theories about the origins of the Piraeus Athena. Because the room the statue was found in was very close to the main harbor, many scholars believe that the statue had been stored in a harbor’s stoa and were just about to be shipped. Additionally, the Piraeus Athena and other statues were not in random order but seemed to be packed. A coin found near the statues had a date equivalent to 87/86 BC on it, along with a picture of King Mithridates VI. Because it is known that Piraeus was captured by Sulla in 86 BC, many have further speculated two theories. One theory is that the statues were going to be shipped in order to save them from the Roman attack. The second theory is that the statues were being shipped by the Romans to Italy as part of their spoils. It is thought that the statue may have originally come from the sanctuary of Zeus Soter and Athena Soteira in Piraeus. This is because the peplos in the statue is similar to the drapery of the peplos in the statue of Eirene by Cephisodotus the Elder, who was also known to have made a statue of Athena that resided in the sanctuary of Zeus Soter and Athena Soteira. Other scholars believe that the statue may have come from Delos, since three of the statues found with the Piraeus Athena were of Artemis, and Delos was considered the birthplace of Artemis. Additionally, the Romans had captured Delos in 88 BC and therefore the statues could have been part of the scared funds Mithradates’ general had sent to Delos. Due to the dating, it has been estimated that the Piraeus Athena probably dates back to 360-340 BCE.

*All biographical details are taken from Wikipedia for education purposes only.

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