Obverse. Photo © NumisCorner.com
  • 1 Drachma 1971-1973, KM# 98, Greece, Constantine II, 21 April 1967
  • 1 Drachma 1971-1973, KM# 98, Greece, Constantine II, 21 April 1967
Description

The Greek military junta of 1967–1974, commonly known as the Regime of the Colonels, or in Greece simply The Junta, The Dictatorship and The Seven Years, was a series of far-right military juntas that ruled Greece following the 1967 Greek coup d'état led by a group of colonels on 21 April 1967. The dictatorship ended on 24 July 1974 under the pressure of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. The fall of the junta was followed by the Metapolitefsi, and the establishment of the Third Hellenic Republic.

Engraver: V. Phalireas

Obverse

The portrait of young Constantine II left, date below, inscription "Constantine King Of Greeks" around.

Constantine II (born 2 June 1940) reigned as the last King of Greece, from 1964 until the abolition of the monarchy of Greece in 1973. He acceded as king following the death of his father King Paul in March 1964. Although the accession of the young monarch was initially regarded auspiciously, his reign soon became controversial: Constantine's involvement in the Apostasia of July 1965 created unrest among sections of the population and aggravated the ongoing political instability that culminated in the Colonels' Coup of 21 April 1967.

The coup was successful, leaving Constantine, as the head of state, little room to maneuver since he had no loyal military forces on which to rely. As a result, he reluctantly agreed to inaugurate the Greek military junta on the condition that it be made up largely of civilian ministers. On 13 December 1967, Constantine was forced to flee the country, following an unsuccessful countercoup against the junta. He remained (formally) the head of state in exile until 1 June 1973, when the junta abolished the monarchy, permanently. This abolition was confirmed after the fall of the junta by the Greek republic referendum, 1974 on 8 December 1974, which established the Third Hellenic Republic. Constantine, who was not allowed to return to Greece to campaign, accepted the results of the plebiscite.

ΚωΝCΤaΝΤΙΝΟC ΒaCΙλΕΥC ΤωΝ ΕλλΗΝωΝ
Β. ΦaλΗΡΕaC
·1971·

Reverse

Depicts the emblem of the Junta: the Phoenix rising from its flames and the silhouette of the soldier bearing a rifle with fixed bayonet. On the header the word Kingdom of Greece and on the footer 21 April 1967, the date of the coup d'état, can be seen in Greek. Denomination below.

ΒaCΙλΕΙΟΝ ΤΗC ΕλλaΔΟC
21 aΠΡΙλΙΟΥ 1967
1
• ΔΡaΧΜΗ •

Edge
Characteristics
Type Commemorative Issue (Circulating)
Material Cupronickel
Weight 4 g
Diameter 21 mm
Thickness 1.55 mm
Shape round
Alignment Coin
Mint
Swissmint

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