Catalog
10 000 000 000 Drachmai
| Issuer | Bank of Greece |
|---|---|
| Year | 1944 |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | At left, a circular intaglio vignette reproduces the celebrated ancient dekadrachm of Syracuse bearing the head of Arethusa in left-facing profile, her hair elaborately coiffed and ornamented, set within an intricate guilloche border. To the right, the large numeral "10" is centred within an ornamental cartouche against a fine geometric underprint in ochre and blue, with the denomination in Greek text below. The bank title appears in the upper margin, and the date and payment clause are printed in letterpress along the lower portion, flanked by two manuscript signatures. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse is printed entirely in blue and consists of dense, elaborate guilloche lacework covering the full field, with the numeral "10" repeated in large format at left and right within scrollwork cartouches. A central rosette guilloche medallion carries the word "ΔΙΣΕΚΑΤΟΜΜΥΡΙΑ" across its face in bold letterpress. The bank title "ΤΡΑΠΕΖΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΟΣ" is inscribed in the upper panel, and "ΕΚΔΟΣΙΣ ΠΡΩΤΗ" (First Issue) appears in a decorative tablet at the bottom centre. |
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| Comments |
Greece's wartime hyperinflation was among the worst in recorded history. By late 1944, the occupying Axis powers had systematically looted the Greek economy and forced the Bank of Greece to print currency to cover occupation costs, triggering a collapse so severe that denominations climbed from hundreds to billions of drachmai within months. This note — ten billion drachmai — was not an anomaly but a routine transaction instrument by the time it entered circulation.
The printing quantity of just under eleven million notes is modest given the circumstances, suggesting this denomination appeared relatively late in the spiral, when even larger notes were already being prepared.