Greek Coins 5 Drachmai 1971 King Constantine II of Greece
National Revolution; Regime of the Colonels
Commemorative issue: The coup d'état of 21 April 1967.
Obverse: The portrait of King Constantine II of Greece is surrounded with the inscription "ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΣ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΥΣ ΤΩΝ ΕΛΛΗΝΩΝ" (Constantine King of the Hellenes).
Lettering: ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΣ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΥΣ ΤΩΝ ΕΛΛΗΝΩΝ · 1971 ·.
Reverse: A Phoenix rising from its flames and the silhouette of the soldier bearing a rifle with fixed bayonet, the emblem of the Junta, are accompanied with the date of the coup d'état and surrounded with the facial value and the inscription "ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΟΝ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΟΣ" (Kingdom of Greece).
Lettering: 21 ΑΠΡΙΛΙΟΥ 1967 • 5 ΔΡΑΧΜΑΙ • ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΟΝ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΟΣ.
Engraver: V. Falireas.
Edge: Milled.
Metal: Copper-nickel.
Weight: 8.9 g.
Diameter: 28 mm.
Thickness: 1.9 mm.
Shape: Round.
Greek Coins
5 Drachmai 1971 King Constantine II 2 Drachmai 1973 King Constantine II
King Constantine II of Greece
Constantine II (born 2 June 1940) is the former King of Greece, reigning from 1964 until the monarchy was abolished in 1973. He is also by birth a Prince of Denmark.
He succeeded his father Paul in March 1964, being styled His Majesty Constantine II, King of the Hellenes. 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 head of state, little room to manoeuvre as he had no loyal military forces to rely on. As a result, he reluctantly agreed to inaugurate the putschist government on the condition that it be made up largely of civilian ministers. On 13 December 1967, he was forced to flee the country, following an abortive counter-coup against the junta. He remained the head of state in exile until 1 June 1973, when the junta abolished the monarchy.
This abolition was confirmed after the fall of the junta by a plebiscite 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.