Catalog
2 000 000 000 Drachmai
| Issuer | Bank of Greece |
|---|---|
| Year | 1944 |
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| Currency | First modern drachma (1832-1944) |
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| Reverse description | The reverse is printed entirely in green and built around a large central guilloche rosette medallion bearing the bold denomination numeral 2000, surmounted by ΔΡΑΧΜΑΙ and underscored by ΕΚΑΤΟΜΜΥΡΙΑ. The medallion is flanked symmetrically by two substantial lathe-work rosettes, with the entire field filled by intricate guilloche bands and geometric lathe patterns; the issuer's name appears in a cartouche at the top, the edition inscription ΕΚΔΟΣΙΣ ΠΡΩΤΗ occupies a panel at the foot, and the numeral 2000 is repeated in each corner. |
| Reverse lettering | ΤΡΑΠΕΖΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΟΣ ΔΡΑΧΜΑΙ 2000 ΕΚΑΤΟΜΜΥΡΙΑ ΕΚΔΟΣΙΣ ΠΡΩΤΗ (Translation: Bank of Greece 2000 million drachmai First edition) |
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| Comments |
Greece's wartime hyperinflation was among the worst in recorded history. By late 1944, prices were doubling every few days, and the drachma had effectively ceased to function as a medium of exchange. This 2,000,000,000-drachma note — two billion — was a direct consequence of Axis occupation monetary policy, which forced the Bank of Greece to print currency to cover occupation costs, triggering a collapse that destroyed roughly 99.99% of the currency's value between 1941 and 1944.
The print date of 30 April 1945 means this note was produced after liberation, likely to meet residual demand before the November 1944 currency reform — under which 50 billion old drachmai were exchanged for a single new drachma.