Catalog
5 Drachmai
| Issuer | Bank of Greece |
|---|---|
| Year | 1928 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Printer | American Bank Note Company, New York, United States |
| 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 | Central portrait vignette of Georgios Stavros enclosed within fine intaglio guilloche work, with denomination numerals repeated in ornamental panels to the left and right. Intricate lathe-work borders frame the composition on all sides, characteristic of American Bank Note Company engraving practice of the period. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Central denomination statement flanked by two vignettes inspired by ancient Greek coinage: a representation of Demeter to the left and Hermes to the right, the whole executed in finely engraved intaglio with classically derived Hellenic motifs. |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| 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 1928 Greek stabilization program, backed by the League of Nations Financial Committee, forced a complete restructuring of the currency — the Bank of Greece itself was only established in 1927 as a condition of that agreement, replacing the National Bank of Greece's note-issuing function. This 5 Drachmai note belongs to the first series issued under the new institution, making it a direct product of imposed fiscal reform rather than organic monetary development.
ABNC's involvement reflects the Greek government's deliberate choice of a foreign printer to signal credibility to international creditors skeptical of domestic monetary discipline after years of drachma devaluation.