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25 Drachmai
| Issuer | Elliniki Trapeza (National Bank of Greece) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1841 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | The note is printed in green on plain paper, with an ornate border of intricate guilloche scrollwork enclosing the entire face. The royal arms appear at upper centre beneath the Greek text inscription ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΤΡΑΠΕΖΑ, with the denomination ΕΙΚΟΣΙΠΕΝΤΕ ΔΡΑΧΜΑΙ set in bold letterpress at centre. Multiple ΑΚΥΡΟΝ (cancelled) overprints are applied across the face, indicating a remainder or cancelled example. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΤΡΑΠΕΖΑ ΕΙΚΟΣΙΠΕΝΤΕ ΔΡΑΧΜΑΙ ΑΚΥΡΟΝ |
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| Comments |
The National Bank of Greece was only founded in 1841 — the same year this note was issued — making P#10 among the earliest products of an institution that had just received its charter. Greece itself had only gained formal international recognition of its independence in 1832, and establishing a functioning central bank with a circulating paper currency was a deliberate act of state-building under the Bavarian-backed monarchy of Otto I.
Surviving examples from this inaugural series are extremely rare. The Greek public of the 1840s remained deeply reluctant to accept paper money, preferring coin, and actual circulation was thin.