Phoenix (currency)
currency formerly used in Greece (1828–1832)
The phoenix (Greek: φοίνιξ, foinix) was the first currency of the modern Greek state. It was introduced in 1828 by Governor Count Ioannis Kapodistrias and was subdivided into 100 lepta. The name was that of the mythical phoenix bird and was meant to symbolize the rebirth of Greece during the still ongoing Greek War of Independence. The phoenix replaced the Ottoman kuruş (called grosi γρόσι, plural γρόσια grosia by the Greeks) at a rate of 6 phoenixes = 1 kuruş.
Introduction
The creation of a national currency was one of the most pressing issues for the newborn Greek state, so that the monetary chaos reigning in the country could subside. Prior to the Phoenix's introduction, transactions were settled with a wide variety of coins, including the kuruş; coins from major European states, such as France, Britain, Russia and Austria, were also popular. Therefore, minting the phoenix was one of Governor Kapodistrias' greatest priorities, and he signed a decree authorising it on 12 April 1828. The Russian Imperial government lent Kapodistrias' administration 1.5 million roubles to start the project.
Minting the Phoenix
Kapodistrias made Alexandros Kontostavlos responsible for minting the Phoenix. Kontostavlos travelled to Malta, where he negotiated the purchase of several coin presses, originally owned by the Knights Hospitaller.
The public source identifies “Phoenix (currency)” as currency formerly used in Greece (1828–1832). This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Phoenix, currency and formerly.
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This entry incorporates text from “Phoenix (currency)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.