Catalog
500 Drachmai
| Issuer | National Bank of Greece |
|---|---|
| Year | 1923 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
| 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 | Log in to see details |
| 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 | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | ΕΘΝΙΚΗ ΤΡΑΠΕΖΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΟΣ ΔΡΑΧΜΑΙ ΠΕΝΤΑΚΟΣΙΑΙ ΠΛΗΡΩΤΕΑΙ ΕΠΙ ΤΗ ΕΜΦΑΝΙΣΕΙ ΑΘΗΝΑΙΣ ΤΗ 3 ΙΑΝΟΥΑΡΙΟΥ 1923 Ο ΔΙΟΙΚΗΤΗΣ 500 |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | ΕΘΝΙΚΗ ΤΡΑΠΕΖΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΟΣ ΕΚΔΟΣΙΣ ΕΝΑΤΗ 500 |
| 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 |
Greece in 1923 was absorbing over a million refugees from Anatolia following the population exchange mandated by the Convention of Lausanne — a demographic catastrophe that strained the National Bank's reserves severely. The 500 Drachmai denomination was substantial for the period, and commissioning the American Bank Note Company reflected both the exhaustion of domestic printing capacity and the political priority of issuing notes that would be difficult to counterfeit during a period of extreme fiscal pressure.
ABNC's engraved intaglio work on Greek issues of this era is among the finer commercial security printing of the decade. The plate quality holds up even on heavily circulated survivors.