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500 Drachmai cut note
| Issuer | National Bank of Greece |
|---|---|
| Year | 1926 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse carries a large central vignette of the Athena Promachos statue rendered in fine intaglio engraving, set between classical Ionic columns suggestive of the Parthenon portico. The denomination "500" appears in a decorative black cartouche at the upper left corner, with a repeating "500" guilloche border running along all four margins. The partial bank name inscription "ΕΘΝΙΚ..." is visible at the upper right. |
| Reverse lettering | ΕΘΝΙΚΗ 500 |
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| Comments |
Greece in the mid-1920s was under severe fiscal pressure following the catastrophic Asia Minor campaign and the massive influx of refugees from the 1923 population exchange with Turkey. The National Bank of Greece, not yet separated from its central banking functions, was managing a currency under constant strain. This 500 Drachmai note was printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson — a firm whose intaglio work was among the finest available to any issuer at the time.
The "cut note" designation refers to the bisection practice: notes were officially cut in half and each half circulated at face value, a stop-gap measure used to address acute small-denomination shortages without issuing entirely new notes. Bradbury, Wilkinson printed the full sheet; the cutting was done locally under Greek authority.