Greek Coins of 1913-1923 period.
Table list represents coin’s issue dates according to their face values
Image represents Greek coins issues from year 1913 until 1923
Joe smith and Tom Forrest have been researching Greek coins for many years and are now working on this web site.
Four kings reigned in ten years in the following order of succession:
On March 25, 1923 a Republic was proclaimed which was confirmed by a plebiscite on April 13.
Due to the unstable conditions of this period few coins were minted. The silver one and two drachmai coins of Constantine I, of which only trial pieces were struck, were never minted for general circulation although there were to have been struck 33,000,000 drachmai worth. This was due to the fact that the price of silver was greater than the value of coins.
Greek Coins of 1923-1935 period.
Table list represents coin’s issue dates according to their face values
Image represents Greek coins issues from year 1923 until 1935
The political situation during this period changed little from the previous years. That is to say, there were revolutions, counter-revolutions and general confusion.
When Venizelos finally returned to Greece and was re-elected as prime minister, stability returned, if only for four years. During those four years much was done to ease Greece’s relations with her neighbors and to stabilize the economy. But the royalists had not forgotten their exiled king and soon gained the upper hand when a coup d’etat led by Venizelos failed. On November 3, 1935, a plebiscite was held which approved the restoration of the monarchy.
Greek Coins of 1935-1947 period.
Table list represents coin’s issue dates according to their face values
Image represents Greek coins issues from year 1935 until 1947
Metaxas became Prime Minister in 1936 and soon declared himself dictator with the approval of the king. Metaxas died on January 29, 1941. King George II left the country during the Italian-German occupation which lasted until October 1944. He returned to his throne in 1946 and died on April 1, 1947.
During this period no coins were issued for circulation due to the unstable conditions of the times. Therefore the coins of the earlier Republic continued to circulate until 1939 when they were recalled from circulation and replaced by banknotes. Their fate was that they were melted down and used for war material.
Only three coins were struck during this period which were issued in 1940 bearing the date of 1935.
Greek Coins of 1947-1964 period.
Table list represents coin’s issue dates according to their face values
Image represents Greek coins issues from year 1947 until 1964
When King Paul ascended to the throne in 1947, a full scale Communist-led guerrila war was in progress and large areas of the land were under their control. Under the leadership of the new king and Field Marshall Papagos, plus the timely American aid given under the Truman doctrine, the Communists were defeated and the task of reconstruction began. This was not easy for the ravages of World War II, followed by the Communist uprising, had left the land devastated.
In 1955, Karamanlis, a young and vigorous politician, was elected prime minister, and during his eight years in office much was done to restore confidence and stability in the Greek economy, especially in industry where more money was spent during this short period than in all the years since 1821, the year of Greece’s independence.
Greek Coins of 1964-1973 period.
Table list represents coin’s issue dates according to their face values
Image represents Greek coins issues from year 1964 until 1973
King Paul I of the Hellenes died on March 6, 1964. Three hours later his son was crowned King Constantine II
A small silver crown was issued to commemorate his marriage in September, 1964 to Princess Anne of Denmark. It is interesting to note that Denmark also issued a coin commemorating this royal wedding.