This piece was struck at the Paris Mint as a pattern proposal during negotiations over Greece's position within the Latin Monetary Union, which Athens had joined in 1867. The 100 drachmai denomination was never adopted for regular circulation — the denomination itself had no practical home in everyday Greek commerce, and the fiscal instability of the kingdom made a high-denomination gold issue politically untenable at the time.
Surviving examples are exceedingly few, as patterns of this type were produced in minimal quantities for official review rather than distribution.
This piece was struck at the Paris Mint as a pattern proposal during negotiations over Greece's position within the Latin Monetary Union, which Athens had joined in 1867. The 100 drachmai denomination was never adopted for regular circulation — the denomination itself had no practical home in everyday Greek commerce, and the fiscal instability of the kingdom made a high-denomination gold issue politically untenable at the time.
Surviving examples are exceedingly few, as patterns of this type were produced in minimal quantities for official review rather than distribution.