Catalog
25 Drachmai black front
| Issuer | Ionian Bank Limited |
|---|---|
| Year | 1889-1898 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | Greek royal coat of arms at upper left, the arms of the Ionian Bank Ltd. flanked by flags at upper centre, and a vignette of Athena at upper right. The note carries printed date, place of issue (Kerkyra/Corfu), and the designations of the Royal Commissioner, Director, and Accountant below the main inscriptions. Engraver's imprint of Waterlow & Sons Ltd. appears at the lower margin. |
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| Reverse lettering | BANQUE IONIENNE LIMITED 25 FRANCS Waterlow & Sons Ld. Bank Note Engravers, London (Translation: Ionian Bank Limited 25 Francs / Drachmai) |
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| Comments |
The Ionian Bank was a British chartered institution operating primarily in the Ionian Islands and later mainland Greece — founded in London in 1839, it held a note-issuing privilege that outlasted most private banks of its kind in the region. By the time this series was issued, the bank had been operating for half a century under a charter that was repeatedly contested by Greek authorities who wanted note-issuing rights consolidated under the National Bank of Greece.
Waterlow & Sons handled the printing, as they did for much of the bank's output throughout the nineteenth century. The "black front" designation distinguishes this from color variants in the same denomination series — a printing distinction, not a later classification.