Catalog
5 Drachmai
| Issuer | National Bank of Greece |
|---|---|
| Year | 1905-1918 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | First modern drachma (1832-1944) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Portrait vignette of Georgios Stavros, founder of the National Bank of Greece, positioned at left, with the national coat of arms at right. The composition is framed by fine guilloche ornamental borders typical of American Bank Note Company engraving work. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | ΔΡΑΧΜΑΙ ΠΕΝΤΕ ΕΚΔΟΣΙΣ ΔΕΥΤΕΡΑ AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY, NEW YORK |
| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | Log in to see details |
| Variants | Log in to see details |
| Comments |
The National Bank of Greece relied on American Bank Note Company for this series at a time when domestic printing capacity was nowhere near sufficient for a state-scale currency run. ABNC's New York shop produced work of consistently high intaglio quality, and their Greek contracts from this period show the sharp fine-line engraving characteristic of their export commissions.
The date range spans the Balkan Wars and the First World War — a period of dramatic territorial expansion for Greece and severe fiscal strain. Notes from the earlier part of the range circulated into conditions quite different from those in which they were issued.