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10 Lepta
| Issuer | Kingdom of Greece |
|---|---|
| Year | 1833-1844 |
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| Currency | First modern drachma (1832-1944) |
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| Obverse description | Central device comprises the quartered royal arms of Greece within a heraldic shield, displaying a bold Greek cross dividing the field into four sections with horizontal line engraving in the upper and lower quarters. The shield is surmounted by an ornate royal crown with pearled arches and a raised central finial. The circular Greek legend ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΟΣ (Kingdom of Greece) runs along the periphery, flanking the crown on either side. The overall design is rendered in a restrained neoclassical style characteristic of Bavarian engravers of the early 19th century. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΟΣ (Translation: KINGDOM OF GREECE) |
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| Additional information |
Greece's first modern coinage series, issued following independence from the Ottomans, was struck not in Greece but at the Paris and Munich mints — the fledgling state had no minting infrastructure of its own. These early copper issues were authorised under Otto I, the Bavarian prince installed as king by the protecting powers in 1832, and the entire monetary framework was effectively designed by foreign administrators. The lepton system was modelled on the decimal French franc, a deliberate modernising choice meant to signal alignment with western Europe.
Munich struck the earliest pieces; Paris took over later in the series. The two sources are distinguishable by mintmark.