20 Drachmai - George I 1st portrait - Pattern

Greece's 1869 gold coinage was struck at Paris under the Latin Monetary Union framework, which Greece had joined in 1868. This particular piece is a pattern — KM#E11 — produced to evaluate the first portrait type of George I, the Danish-born king installed by the protecting powers in 1863 after the deposition of Otto. The transition mattered: Otto's coinage had carried his own effigy for decades, and establishing George's portrait on the gold denominations required official Parisian approval of the dies before regular production could proceed.

Very few examples are documented. Fr#8 confirms its standing in the Friedberg gold reference, though auction appearances remain rare.