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5 Drachmai
| Issuer | Kingdom of Greece |
|---|---|
| Year | 1945 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 5 Drachmai (5 δρᾰχμαί) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Brown and yellow-orange note printed in letterpress. The centre is occupied by a large ornate numeral '5' set within concentric guilloche rings, flanked by intricate lathe-work borders extending to all four corners with corner numerals '5'. The issuer's title 'ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΟΝ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΟΣ' appears in a panel at the top, while 'ΔΡΑΧΜΑΙ ΠΕΝΤΕ' is set in a rectangular panel below the central vignette, with the place, date, and a manuscript signature of the Minister of Finance across the lower portion. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Brown and yellow-orange note with a simplified design centred on a large ornate numeral '5' enclosed within a radiating sunburst guilloche pattern and multiple concentric lathe-work rings. The issuer's title 'ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΟΝ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΟΣ' is printed in a panel at the top, with corner numerals '5' at each angle. The overall composition relies entirely on geometric guilloche underprint with no pictorial vignette. |
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| Comments |
This note belongs to the emergency small-denomination paper issues Greece produced in the immediate aftermath of the catastrophic hyperinflation of 1943–44, during which the occupation-era drachma had collapsed so completely that prices were quoted in billions. The Liberation government inherited a currency in ruins. These low-value paper pieces were stopgaps — the drachma was redenominated in November 1944 at 50 billion old drachmai to one new, effectively wiping out the occupation-period money.
At 75 × 53 mm, this is among the smallest format notes Greece ever issued — a direct consequence of wartime paper shortages still affecting production well into 1945.