Catalog
5 Drachmai
| Issuer | National Bank of Greece |
|---|---|
| Year | 1923 |
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| Currency | First modern drachma (1832-1944) |
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|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | ΕΘΝΙΚΗ ΤΡΑΠΕΖΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΟΣ 5 ΔΡΑΧΜΑΙ ΠΕΝΤΕ ΠΛΗΡΩΤΕΑΙ ΕΠΙ ΤΗ⹁ ΕΜΦΑΝΙΣΕΙ ΑΘΗΝΗΣΙ ΤΗ⹁ 28 ΑΠΡΙΛΙΟΥ 1923 (Translation: National Bank of Greece 5 Five drachmai Paid on appearance In Athens, on 28 April 1923) |
| Reverse description | Central medallion vignette of Athena in profile facing right, wearing a crested helmet, rendered in intaglio within a circular frame. The denomination numeral "5" appears at both left and right within elaborate guilloche rosette panels, with the issuer name across the top and the series inscription at the foot. The printer's imprint "AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY" appears at the lower margin. |
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| Comments |
Greece in 1923 was absorbing over a million refugees from Anatolia following the population exchange mandated by the Convention of Lausanne — a demographic shock that placed immediate strain on the monetary system. The National Bank of Greece turned to the American Bank Note Company, a reliable supplier for several Balkan and Mediterranean issuers during the interwar period, partly because domestic printing capacity could not meet sudden surges in demand.
P#73 is among the smaller-denomination notes of a series that was quickly overtaken by inflation, limiting the window of practical circulation.