2 Drachmai - George I 3rd portrait

Greece's shift to the third portrait of George I on this denomination followed years of political instability, including the Military League's 1909 coup that forced significant constitutional reforms and ultimately brought Eleftherios Venizelos to power. The timing matters: coins bearing this portrait were struck on the cusp of the Balkan Wars, which would nearly double Greek territory by 1913. Many pieces entered circulation during active wartime, which explains the frequency of heavily worn survivors relative to the short production window.