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500 000 000 Drachmai Nauplia
| Issuer | Bank of Greece |
|---|---|
| Year | 1944 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | 165 × 83 mm |
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| Obverse description | The obverse is that of the Bank of Greece 5,000 Drachmai note of 20 June 1942 (P#119), carrying a circular provisional overprint stamp applied in ink. The central vignette shows the Winged Victory of Samothrace flanked by two male workers, with industrial and maritime scenes in the lower corners. A red serial number and series letter appear in the upper right, with the bank title ΤΡΑΠΕΖΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΟΣ across the top and denomination in large Greek lettering on either side of the central group. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse of this provisional local issue bears a handstamped overprint accompanied by handwritten signatures of three local officials — Michopoulos, Mpitsakos, and Pantazopoulos — validating the note for circulation in the Nauplia district. The underlying printed reverse design of the host 5,000 Drachmai note serves as the bearer document upon which the provisional authorization is applied. |
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| Comments |
By mid-1944, Axis occupation had reduced the Greek drachma to near-worthlessness through unchecked money printing to fund occupation costs. This 500,000,000 drachmai note is among the highest denominations of that hyperinflationary collapse — a period when a single egg could cost billions of drachmai within weeks of a note's issue date. The Bank of Greece was effectively operating under duress, producing currency that depreciated faster than it could be distributed.
The Nauplia designation indicates the branch of payment, not a separate printing location. All notes in this occupation series were printed centrally.
At the November 1944 currency reform, 50 billion old drachmai were exchanged for a single new drachma.