us-005578-irn521553-irn524902
type: RecordSet
archival history: The currency was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2003 by Joel Forman.
physical characteristics and technical requirements: Greek currency printed on lightweight, off-white rectangular paper. The face has a large, centered, rectangular, green and red printed area with a black undulating border and white, spirographic lines throughout. The numeric denomination is located in each corner. On the left is a bust of Deidamia of Scyros. She is in right profile with the top of a tunic over her shoulder and a sakkos covering her hair, which is in a bun. The image is inside a vertical, rectangular frame overlaid on a background of lines layered in a sinuous, latticework design. To the right, is a black ribbon with Greek text inside, and several lines of Greek text with the denomination below. Above, and to the right of the text is a red serial number. The text is overlaid on a light green and red-colored latticework background. The reverse features a light green, rectangular latticework background overlaid with a centered image of two columns standing amid the rubble of a building. The image is flanked by the numeric denomination in black, which is overlaid on a sinuous design of layered oval shapes with pinched ends inside an ornate, black border with spirographic white lines. An ornate, green border with sinuous white interior lines surrounds the image and denominations. Above the image is a ribbon with black Greek text inside, and below the image is a line of black text. face, upper right, stamped, red ink : AE 693446
conditions of access: No restrictions on access
conditions of use: No restrictions on use
date: 1943 August 12
has or had holder: us-005578
has or had identifier: 1
has or had some members with language: ell
has record set type: Item
identifier: irn524902
is or was included in: us-005578-irn521553
record resource extent: overall: Height: 2.500 inches (6.35 cm) | Width: 5.500 inches (13.97 cm)
results or resulted from: 1
scope and content: German-issued Greek National currency valued at 25,000 Drachmai. The Greek currency, called Drachma, can be traced back to the 6th century BC. The currency was discontinued after the Roman conquest of Greece, and reissued after Greece gained independence from the Ottoman Empire. Many of the reissued notes included figures and images from Greek mythology. Featured on this note is Deidamia of Scyros, wife of the hero, Achilles, and mother of his son, Neoptolemus. The image on the reverse is likely the Temple of Hera, one of the oldest monuments in Greece. On October 28, 1940, Italy invaded Greece, but they were repelled by the Greek forces. On April 6, 1941, Germany invaded Greece to support Italy and forced the Grecians to surrender by the end of the month. Germany, Italy, and Bulgaria collectively occupied Greece until Italy’s surrender to the Allies in September 1943. Then Germany occupied all of Greece, and forced the Greek government to pay for the occupation by printing more paper money with higher denominations. The excess Drachmai caused hyperinflation, and the price for goods and services rose dramatically. During the occupation, the price of corn was 9 million Drachmai per pound. The essentially worthless paper bills gave way to bartering of supplies such as olive oil, cigarettes, and wheat. Due to the invasion and the harsh economic policies, hundreds of thousands Grecians died from lack of food during the German occupation.
title: German issued Greek currency, 25,000 Drachmai note