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5 Drachmai Half of 10 Drachmai
| Issuer | National Bank of Greece |
|---|---|
| Year | 1885-1910 |
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| Value | 5 Drachmai |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | ΤΡΑΠΕΖΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΟΣ ΔΕΚΑ ΒΑΣ. ΕΠΙΤΡΟΠΟΣ ΤΑΜΙΑΣ |
| Reverse description | The reverse preserves one half of the original 10 Drachmai back design, centered on a large intaglio guilloche oval medallion enclosing the numeral '10' within concentric lathe-work borders. Partial elements of a secondary circular guilloche vignette are visible at the cut edge. The printer's imprint 'AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY, NEW YORK' appears in small letterpress text below the central medallion. |
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| Comments |
This note exists because of a deliberate act of physical division. The National Bank of Greece authorized the bisection of printed 10 Drachmai notes, with each half receiving its own validation to circulate as a 5 Drachmai instrument — a response to a shortage of lower denominations rather than any printing or distribution failure. The practice was not unusual in 19th-century Europe, but surviving authenticated halves with intact cancellation or validation markings are genuinely difficult to find.
The American Bank Note Company plates were designed for a whole note; the bisection line itself tells you something about how casually the Greek monetary authorities treated what was, by New York standards, a finely engraved document.