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500 Drachmai
| Issuer | Bank of Greece |
|---|---|
| Year | 1926 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Printer | American Bank Note Company, New York, United States |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The central vignette presents the Church of the Holy Apostles in Thessaloniki, flanked on either side by mythological creatures rendered in classical style. Fine guilloche border work frames the overall composition, with denomination inscriptions in Greek lettering above and below the central design. |
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| Variants | P#89a - black signature at right P#89b - red signature at right |
| Comments |
Greece's monetary situation in 1926 was severely complicated by the mass influx of refugees following the 1922 population exchange with Turkey — an estimated 1.2 million people resettled in Greece within a few years, placing enormous strain on public finances. The Bank of Greece itself had only been formally established in 1928, meaning this 1926 note was technically issued under the transitional authority preceding the modern central bank's founding charter.
ABNC's involvement was a deliberate choice for credibility. Greek authorities repeatedly contracted American and European security printers during the interwar period specifically to deter the sophisticated counterfeiting operations that had plagued domestically printed issues.