2019-02-06 Wed

Otto or Otho was a Bavarian prince who became the first modern King of Greece. On 6thFeb 1832, Otto I ascended the newly created throne of Greece at the age of 17.

The second son of King Ludwig I of Bavaria, Otto was born as Prince Otto Friedrich Ludwig of Bavaria. The second son of King Ludwig I of Bavaria, Otto ascended the newly created throne of Greece while still a minor. His government was initially run by a three-man regency council made up of Bavarian court officials. Upon reaching his majority, Otto removed the regents when they proved unpopular with the people and he ruled as an absolute monarch.

Otto's reign is usually divided into three periods: a) The years of Regency: 1832–1835 b) The years of Absolute Monarchy: 1835–1843 c) The years of Constitutional Monarchy: 1843–1862. Throughout his reign, Otto was unable to resolve Greece's poverty and prevent economic meddling from outside. As a result, Otto was deposed while in the countryside in 1862. He died in exile in Bavaria in 1867.

A number of coins were issued under his authority from various mints such as Munich, Paris Athens, and Vienna. The above-shown coin is 1 silver drachma coin issued on the first year of the reign of Otto I.

The obverse of the coin features the effigy of the King surrounded by Greek legend which mentions his name. On the reverse, the coat of arms of the kingdom is depicted which has a crown on to and is flanked by the olive branch and mentions the denomination in Greek along with the year of issue.

Image Courtesy: www.coinsbook.net