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500 Drachmai
| Issuer | National Bank of Greece |
|---|---|
| Year | 1914-1918 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | First modern drachma (1832-1944) |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central vignette of a female figure with sheep before a classical temple in the background, with the denomination numerals repeated at left and right margins. The bank title appears in French across the upper border, and the issue number in Greek at the lower margin. |
| Reverse lettering | BANQUE NATIONALE DE GRÈCE 500 500 ΕΚΔΟΣΙΣ ΕΒΔΟΜΗ (Translation: National Bank of Greece 500 500 Seventh issue) |
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| Comments |
The National Bank of Greece turned to the American Bank Note Company during the First World War partly because European printers — particularly those in France and Britain — were operating under wartime production constraints. ABNC had a long relationship with Greek currency going back to the nineteenth century, and the New York presses were simply more reliable during the period.
Greece's political situation during these years was exceptionally unstable. The National Schism between King Constantine I and Prime Minister Venizelos fractured the country, and competing governments in Athens and Thessaloniki each claimed legitimacy. Monetary policy was caught in the middle, which complicates the provenance of notes from this run considerably.
The wide date range — spanning four years — reflects multiple print orders rather than a single issue.