20 Drachmai Coin KM# 85

The latest item in my silver collection is a 20 drachmai coin from Greece, minted in 1960 from 0.8350 silver. This coin is listed as KM# 85 in the "Standard Catalog of World Coins" by George S. Cuhaj (Krause Publications). The drachma was one of the basic units of currency in the Balkan country until their adoption of the Euro on 01-Jan-2001. The drachma remained legal tender until 28-Feb-2002 when it was officially phased-out.^[3]

The observe (front) of the coin features a profile of King Paul I, who was the monarch of Greece from 1947 until his death in 1964.^[4] This coin was minted in 1960, during his reign.

The reverse (back) of the coin features an image of Selene, the Moon Goddess, riding on the back of a horse.^[2] It is this lovely feminine image that attracted me to this coin, the same as happened with the beautiful Thalassa silver round.

I examined many listings on eBay, very carefully, to pick the one that had the nicest-looking details for the price. There were several cheaper coins for sale which had been used such that some of the finer details had been worn-away over time. But, this coin seemed superb to me!

There is some lettering around the edge of the coin. My eyes are becoming worse as I age, as is common, and I could not make out what it says. Fortunately, the Internet came to the rescue! The inscription reads: "ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΟΝ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΟΣ 1960" which translates to "THE KINGDOM OF GREECE 1960." ^[2]

I am unskilled at ascertaining the "grade" of coins, which is an indicator of quality and value to a collector. However, this coin looks really nice to me, as if it were uncirculated and in excellent condition. If this coin ranks XF40, it could be worth USD $20, and could be worth USD $45 if it ranks at MS63.^[1] Other sites indicate that I may have broken-even on the purchase based on pure monetary value. However, I am thrilled with this little coin for its artistic merit and beauty, so I definitely count it as a win!

As a final little interesting twist, the seller lives in the Markham area of Ontario, Canada — a suburb of Toronto — so the envelope featured a couple of pretty Canadian Stamps which I am sure @artemisnorth already has in her collection!