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5 Drachmai Half of 10 Drachmai
| Issuer | National Bank of Greece |
|---|---|
| Year | 1885-1910 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | This note represents the left half of the 10 Drachmai note (P-37), bisected vertically for use as a 5 Drachmai denomination. The visible half retains the Greek royal arms vignette at left with the inscription ΤΡΑΠΕΖΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΟΣ across the top, a central guilloche medallion bearing the numeral 10 and the legend ΔΕΚΑ, and an intaglio portrait of Hermes in winged helmet to the right. The lower portion carries a manuscript date and the ΤΑΜΙΑΣ designation, with the imprint of the American Bank Note Co. New York along the bottom border. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | ΔΕΚΑ AMERICAN BANK NOTE CO. |
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| Comments |
This note is precisely what its name describes: a halved 10 Drachmai note, physically cut in two and reissued as a 5 Drachmai denomination. The practice was an emergency measure, not an oversight — Greece's chronic shortage of small-denomination currency in the late 19th century forced the National Bank to authorize bisection as official policy, with each half carrying legal tender status independently.
The ABNC-printed parent note was designed for a very different purpose, and the cut line was never standardized. Surviving halves vary considerably in where the scissors fell.