Greek 25,000 drachma banknote, August 1943. Greece under Nazi occupation - On the back of the banknote are two rare Nazi stamps - on the left is the ADAC stamp, the German automobile club, and on the right is the civilian administration stamp "REICH EIGENTUM" meaning "Property of the Reich". Extremely rare.
The banknote itself was issued by Τράπεζα της Ελλάδος - "Bank of Greece" during Greece's occupation by the Axis powers. On April 27, 1941, the first German forces entered Athens, Greece's capital, Greece's occupation was completed with the fall of the island of Crete to the German army on June 1, 1941. At the end of the campaign, Greece was under military occupation by three of the Axis powers - Germany, Italy and Bulgaria until Italy's surrender to the Allies in September 1943. The Germans forced Greece to pay for the occupation by printing high-denomination paper currency. The surplus drachmas caused hyperinflation, and commodity and service prices rose dramatically and unrealistically. For example, during the occupation corn prices rose to 9 million drachmas. The worthless paper currency was essentially replaced by barter trade of supplies like olive oil, cigarettes and wheat. Due to the invasion and harsh economic policies, hundreds of thousands of Greeks died of starvation during the German occupation.
Rare to find this banknote with the Nazi attributed stamps.
Approx. 14x7 cm. Stains on the banknote edges. Good condition.
