German issued Greek currency, 1,000,000 Drachmai note

Identifier
irn524921
Language of Description
English
Alt. Identifiers
  • 2003.413.89
Level of Description
Item
Languages
  • Greek
Source
EHRI Partner

Extent and Medium

overall: Height: 2.500 inches (6.35 cm) | Width: 5.500 inches (13.97 cm)

Creator(s)

Archival History

The currency was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2003 by Joel Forman.

Acquisition

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Joel Forman

Scope and Content

German-issued Greek National currency valued at 1 million 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 Greek notes featured figures and images from Greek Mythology and history. Featured on the face is an image of the head of the Antikythera Ephebe (also known as the Antikythera Youth), a bronze statue of a young man discovered in 1900 by sponge-divers off the island of Antikythera, Greece. The reverse features an image of the ruins of the Temple of Poseidon at the Cape of Sounion. On April 6, 1941, Germany invaded Greece to support Italy and forced the Greeks 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 of Greeks died from lack of food during the German occupation.

Conditions Governing Access

No restrictions on access

Conditions Governing Reproduction

No restrictions on use

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Greek currency printed on lightweight, off-white rectangular paper. On the left, the face features an image of a bust of the Antikythera Youth, a young man with short, curly hair. To the right are several lines of black, Greek text and the numeric denomination. The serial number is stamped above in red. The text is framed by a rounded, rectangular shape with black, undulating edges made up of sinuous, intersecting green and black lines in a latticework design. Both features are overlaid on a green and light yellow background of geometric shapes and short lines, with a black scrollwork border. In each corner, the denomination is printed in black. The reverse features a centered image depicting the columns of the Temple of Poseidon ruins in Sounion, Greece. The image is flanked by the numeric denomination and two lines of small, Greek text overlaid on thin, black scrollwork lines. These are overlaid on a blue, wide geometric ribbon decorated with sinuous intersecting white lines. The background is a repeating geometric pattern of blue diamond shapes and white circles surrounded by a stepped, rounded, exterior border.

face, center, stamped, red ink : ΙΑ 176796

Subjects

Genre

This description is derived directly from structured data provided to EHRI by a partner institution. This collection holding institution considers this description as an accurate reflection of the archival holdings to which it refers at the moment of data transfer.