Catalog
1 Drachma
| Issuer | Kingdom of Greece (Βασίλειον της Ελλάδος) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1917 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΟΝ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΟΣ ΔΡΑΧΜΗ ΜΙΑ Νομος 991 της 27ης Οκτωβριου 1917 Ο ΥΠΟΥΡΓΟΣ ΤΩΝ ΟΙΚΟΝΟΜΙΚΩΝ Ο ΚΕΝΤΡΙΚΟΣ ΤΑΜΙΑΣ Bradbury Wilkinson & Co Ld London |
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| Reverse lettering | ΙΣΧΥΣ ΜΟΥ Η ΑΓΑΠΗ ΤΟΥ ΛΑΟΥ ΔΡΑΧΜΗ ΜΙΑ |
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| Comments |
Greece entered World War I on the Allied side in 1917 following the forced abdication of King Constantine I, and the new Venizelist government needed small-denomination notes almost immediately — silver had vanished from circulation, hoarded the moment wartime uncertainty set in. Bradbury Wilkinson produced this fractional note in London, which was routine for Greece at the time; the country had relied on British and French printers for its paper currency throughout the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
At 65 × 40 mm, these were essentially intended to replace coins, and they circulated hard. Surviving examples in decent condition are less common than the print quantities would suggest.