Catalog
1 Drachma
| Issuer | National Bank of Greece |
|---|---|
| Year | 1885 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
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| Reference(s) | P#40 |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The entire reverse is printed in blue and dominated by a central circular vignette of the Royal Arms of Greece, showing a white Greek cross on a blue field supported by two standing male figures and surmounted by a royal crown, all enclosed within a circular legend. The central medallion is framed by an intricate multi-layered guilloche border incorporating wavy lathe-work bands and numeral '1' counters at left and right. The printer's imprint BRADBURY, WILKINSON & COMPY. LTD LONDON appears in letterpress at the lower margin. |
| Reverse lettering | ΙΣΧΥΣ ΜΟΥ Η ΑΓΑΠΗ ΤΟΥ ΛΑΟΥ BRADBURY, WILKINSON & COMPY. LTD LONDON |
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| Comments |
The National Bank of Greece issued this 1 Drachma note at a moment of chronic fiscal strain — Greece had defaulted on its external debt in 1843 and would do so again in 1893, and small-denomination paper was a recurring tool for managing coin shortages rather than a sign of monetary health. Bradbury Wilkinson's engraving work for Greek issues of this period is technically accomplished; the firm had established itself as a reliable security printer for smaller sovereign clients who lacked domestic printing infrastructure capable of resisting forgery.
The 1 Drachma denomination was notoriously unloved by the public, who preferred coin for low-value transactions and were slow to accept paper at this level.