2019-04-25 Thu

Greece is a country in south-eastern Europe with thousands of islands throughout the Aegean and Ionian seas. Influential in ancient times, it's often called the cradle of Western civilization. Athens, its capital, retains landmarks including the 5th-century B.C. Acropolis citadel with the Parthenon temple. Greece is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece is also known for its beaches, from the black sands of Santorini to the party resorts of Mykonos.

Drachma was the currency used in Greece during several periods in its history: From ancient Greek to the Archaic period and the Classical period; From the Hellenistic period up to the Roman period under Greek Imperial Coinage. It continued to be a currency in modern Greece as well. First introduced in 1832, it was replaced by the euro in 2001.

Today we are looking at a 1000 drachmai banknote of 1926. The obverse has the Portrait of Georgios Stavros, founder of the National Bank of Greece (Ethniki Trapeza tis Ellados). The reverse has depicted the confronting lionesses posing on both sides of a pillar above the lintel at the Lion Gate at Mycenae.

Image Courtesy: Coins and Banknotes International