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100 000 000 Drachmai Patras
| Issuer | Bank of Greece |
|---|---|
| Year | 1944 |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | Circular vignette at left contains an ancient coin motif with a seated female figure and the inscription ΑΘΗΝΑ, surrounded by a decorative border. The central text block carries the obligation clause in Greek, with the denomination ΔΡΑΧΜΑΙ 100 ΕΚΑΤΟΝ ΕΚΑΤΟΜΜΥΡΙΑ printed in large numerals to the right. The note identifies the issuing branch as ΤΡΑΠΕΖΑ ΕΛΛΑΔΟΣ ΥΠΟΚΑΤΑΣΤΗΜΑ ΠΑΤΡΩΝ, with two manuscript signatures and a red serial number below the text. |
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| Reverse description | The reverse is unprinted, presenting a plain cream-coloured paper surface with no vignette, text, or ornamental elements. |
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| Comments |
By mid-1944, Axis occupation had reduced the Greek drachma to near-worthlessness through relentless money printing to cover occupation costs — a hyperinflationary spiral that forced denominations into the hundreds of millions. This 100,000,000 drachmai note was issued at Patras, one of several regional issue points the Bank of Greece used to distribute emergency currency as the occupation economy collapsed.
The November 1944 currency reform ultimately swept away all occupation-era notes at an exchange rate of 50 billion old drachmai to one new drachma. Surviving examples are common; the real scarcity in this series is uncirculated stock, since most notes were spent rapidly and discarded once redemption closed.