5 Lepta

Greece adopted cupro-nickel for this small denomination in the 1890s largely under fiscal pressure — bronze coinage had become expensive to produce relative to face value, and the Latin Monetary Union's framework was being strained by Greece's chronic budget deficits. The switch to cupro-nickel allowed cheaper production while maintaining the appearance of a durable, modern currency. Greece was formally expelled from the Latin Monetary Union in 1908, but the cracks were already visible in this period.