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5 Drachmai - Othon
| Issuer | Greece |
|---|---|
| Year | 1851 |
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| Shape | Round |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse lettering | ΟΘΩΝ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΥΣ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΟΣ (Translation: OTHON KING OF GREECE) |
| Reverse description | Central shield bearing the Greek royal arms — a quartered escutcheon with the Greek cross in white and blue — surmounted by a royal crown with cross finial and supported on a decorative mantle. The shield is flanked by two large olive branches curving upward from the base to frame the entire composition. Below the shield, the denomination 5 ΔΡΑΧΜΑΙ and the date 1851 are inscribed in two lines within the lower field, separated from the central device by a horizontal line. The design is enclosed within a dentilated border. |
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| Additional information |
Othon — the Bavarian prince installed as Greece's first modern king in 1832 — faced chronic fiscal instability throughout his reign, and the 1851 five drachmai issue was struck under persistent pressure from the protecting powers (Britain, France, and Russia) to maintain a credible coinage system. The mint contract went to Paris, where all of Greece's major silver was produced during this period, Athens lacking the infrastructure for serious coin production.
Othon was deposed by military coup in 1862, making this one of the final decades of his coinage. Survivors in collectible condition are scarce; most circulated hard in a cash-poor rural economy.