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100 Phoenix
| Issuer | National Bank Commission of Greece |
|---|---|
| Year | 1831 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Rectangular with undulating edge |
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| Obverse description | The face is enclosed within a double-ruled rectangular border and presents a plain typographic layout in Greek script. The denomination "ΦΟΙΝΙΚΕΣ 100 ΕΚΑΤΟΝ" is set across the top in bold letterpress, followed by several lines of authorizing text citing Government Resolution No. 3851. The date "1 Ιουνίου 1831" (1 June 1831) and the bank registry number appear in the lower portion, accompanied by two manuscript signatures on behalf of the National Bank Commission. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse is entirely blank, without any printed text, vignette, or ornamental device. |
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| Comments |
The Phoenix was Greece's first national currency, introduced by Ioannis Kapodistrias after independence from Ottoman rule. This 100 Phoenix note, issued by the National Bank Commission, belongs to one of the earliest paper money series ever produced for the Greek state — a series so mistrusted by the population that most notes were refused outright and returned to government offices unredeemed.
Kapodistrias was assassinated in October 1831, the same year this note was issued, plunging the country into factional civil war. The Phoenix itself was abolished in 1833 when the incoming Bavarian regency replaced it with the Drachma at a rate of one Drachma to six Phoenix.
Surviving examples are genuinely rare — a direct consequence of low acceptance and the brevity of the currency's existence.