Greece's first modern coinage was struck in 1833 under the authority of the newly installed Bavarian king Otto I, whose regency council contracted the Munich mint to produce the inaugural national series. These pattern pieces were part of that evaluation process — struck before the regular issue was approved and distributed — meaning production numbers were minimal by design. The Munich origin explains the unusually clean workmanship relative to later Greek copper of the period.
The Karamitsos and Divo references both treat this as a confirmed pattern rather than a trial or essai, a distinction that matters for attribution.
Greece's first modern coinage was struck in 1833 under the authority of the newly installed Bavarian king Otto I, whose regency council contracted the Munich mint to produce the inaugural national series. These pattern pieces were part of that evaluation process — struck before the regular issue was approved and distributed — meaning production numbers were minimal by design. The Munich origin explains the unusually clean workmanship relative to later Greek copper of the period.
The Karamitsos and Divo references both treat this as a confirmed pattern rather than a trial or essai, a distinction that matters for attribution.