100 Drachmes 1978, Greece
| in Krause book | Number: 200b |
| Years of issue: | 08.12.1978 |
| Edition: | |
| Signatures: | Deputy Governor: , Governor: Xenophon Zolotas (27 November 1974 - 29 October 1981) |
| Serie: | 1978 Issue |
| Specimen of: | 08.12.1978 |
| Material: | Cotton fiber |
| Size (mm): | 158 x 67 |
| Printer: | Printing works department of Bank of Greece (Idryma Trapezis tis Ellados), Athens |
* All pictures marked 
are increased partially by magnifying glass, the remaining open in full size by clicking on the image.
** The word "Specimen" is present only on some of electronic pictures, in accordance with banknote images publication rules of appropriate banks.
Description
Watermark:
The Charioteer of Delphi, also known as Heniokhos is one of the best-known statues surviving from Ancient Greece, and is considered one of the finest examples of ancient bronze statues. The life-size (1.8 m) statue of a chariot driver was found in 1896 at the Sanctuary of Apollo in Delphi. It is now in the Delphi Archaeological Museum.
Avers:
The statue of Piraeus Athena. Excavated at Piraeus (found in 1959 in a cache together with the Piraeus Apollo and two statues of Artemis [Piraeus 4647 and Piraeus 4648]).
Material: Bronze.
The statue of Athena is apparently an original creation of the IV century, which was buried as part of a cache of bronze statues following the sack of Athens by Sulla in 86 BC. The statue is nearly complete, except for part of the left foot and the attributes, and is particularly interesting for all the details which are preserved intact. The figure faces forward, the weight on the right leg, the left leg relaxed. She wears a peplos open on the right side, with a long diagonal overfold, the tip of which reaches nearly to the knee. Over the dress is slung the aegis, shaped like a narrow band. Though it is bordered by snakes and emblazoned with a small head of Medusa, its significance in this instance is more a badge of identity than a weapon. Her left hand appears to have rested on a shield and may have held a spear as well. The right hand is extended forward. The open palm is pierced with a hole, as is the thumb, for attachment of an object. She may have held an owl. The helmet is pushed back on her head. Two owls are represented on the visor, and griffins stand on either side of the long crest. The eyes are inset. 
In lower right corner is the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.
The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Greek: Εθνικόν και Καποδιστριακόν Πανεπιστήμιον Αθηνών), usually referred to simply as the University of Athens, has been in continuous operation since its establishment in 1837. It is the oldest higher education institution in the modern Greek state.
The logo of University is the same bust of Athena, as you can see on banknote.
The University of Athens was founded on 3 May 1837, by King Otto of Greece (in Greek, Othon) and was named in his honour Othonian University (Οθώνειον Πανεπιστήμιον). It was the first university in the liberated Greek state and in the surrounding area of Southeast Europe as well. It was also the second academic institution after the Ionian Academy. This fledgling university consisted of four faculties; Theology, Law, Medicine and Arts (which included applied sciences and mathematics). During its first year of operation, the institution was staffed by 33 professors, while courses were attended by 52 students and 75 non-matriculated "auditors".
It was first housed in the residence of architects Stamatios Kleanthis and Eduard Schaubert, on the north slope of the Acropolis, in Plaka, which now houses the Museum of the University. In November 1841 the university relocated on the Central Building of the University of Athens, a building designed by Danish architect Christian Hansen. He followed a neoclassical approach, "combining the monument's magnificence with a human scale simplicity" and gave the building its H-shape.[9] The building was decorated by painter Carl Rahl, forming the famous "architectural trilogy of Athens", together with the building of the National Library of Greece (left of the university) and the building of the Athens Academy (right of the university). Construction began in 1839 in a location to the north of the Acropolis. Its front wing, also known as the Propylaea, was completed in 1842-1843. The rest of the wings' construction, that was supervised at first by Greek architect Lysandros Kaftantzoglou and later by his colleague Anastasios Theofilas, was completed in 1864. The building is nowadays part of what is called the "Athenian Neoclassical Trilogy".
The historian and professor Konstantinos Paparrigopoulos, founder of the modern greek historiography, was elected Rector of the University in 1872.
The Othonian University was renamed to National University (Εθνικόν Πανεπιστήμιον) in 1862, following events that forced King Otto to leave the country. It was later renamed to "National and Kapodistrian University of Athens" to honour Ioannis Kapodistrias, the first head of state of the independent modern Greek state.
A major change in the structure of the University came about in 1904, when the faculty of Arts was divided into two separate faculties: that of Arts (Σχολή Τεχνών) and that of Sciences (Σχολή Επιστημών), the latter consisting of the departments of Physics and Mathematics and the School of Pharmacy. In 1919, a department of chemistry was added, and in 1922 the School of Pharmacy was renamed a Department. A further change came about when the School of Dentistry was added to the faculty of medicine.
Statue of the first Governor of Greece, Conte Ioannis Kapodistrias, whose name has been given to the University in 1932, after the unification of the Kapodistrias University (theoretical schools) and the National University (scientific schools).
Between 1895 and 1911, an average of 1,000 new students matriculated each year, a number which increased to 2,000 at the end of World War I. This resulted in the decision to introduce entrance examinations for all the faculties, beginning for the academic year 1927-28. Since 1954 the number of students admitted each year has been fixed by the Ministry of Education and Religion, by proposal of the faculties.
From 1911 until 1932 the university was separated into the Kapodistrian University (the humanities departments; named after Ioannis Kapodistrias) and the National University (the science departments). In 1932, the two separate legal entities were merged into the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.
During the 1960s construction work began on the University Campus in the suburb of Ilissia, which houses the Schools of Philosophy, Theology and Sciences.
In 2013, the University Senate made the decision to suspend all operations in the wake of the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs cutting 1,655 administrative jobs from universities around the country. In a statement, the University Senate said that "any educational, research and administrative operation of the University of Athens is objectively impossible".
Denominations in numerals are in top corners. In words centered, above.
Revers:
The engraving on banknote is made after this portrait of Adamantios Korais.
The date and author of portrait are unknown.
Adamantios Korais or Coraïs (27 April 1748 - 6 April 1833) was a Greek humanist scholar credited with laying the foundations of Modern Greek literature and a major figure in the Greek Enlightenment. His activities paved the way for the Greek War of Independence and the emergence of a purified form of the Greek language, known as Katharevousa. Encyclopædia Britannica asserts that "his influence on the modern Greek language and culture has been compared to that of Dante on Italian and Martin Luther on German".
On right side is the monastery of Arkadi.
It is an Eastern Orthodox monastery, situated on a fertile plateau 23 km. (14 mi.) to the southeast of Rethymnon on the island of Crete (in Greece).
The current catholicon (church) dates back to the XVI century and is marked by the influence of the Renaissance. This influence is visible in the architecture, which mixes both Roman and baroque elements. As early as the 16th century, the monastery was a place for science and art and had a school and a rich library. Situated on a plateau, and surrounded by a thick and high wall, the monastery is also built like a fortress.
Denominations in numerals are in three corners, in words lower, centered.
Comments:
I got this banknote at the beginning of October 1991, in Athens.
Banknote with the letter L at the bottom left on the reverse.
If you find my work useful I will be grateful for any help in supporting the site.
-
PayPal
-
For users of European Union banking system