1944 WWII Greek Postcard – Athens Liberation Era – Hyperinflation 500,000 Drachma Stamps – U.S. Censorship – Peristeri Greece to Peoria IL

Description:

Original Greek wartime postcard dated in the message:

Peristeri (Athens), 10 November 1944

Mailed from Greece to Mrs. Sophia Vaselou, 518 North Madison Avenue, Peoria, Illinois, U.S.A.

This postcard was written less than one month after the liberation of Athens (October 12, 1944) following three years of German occupation during World War II.

Historical Context:

By late 1944, Greece was emerging from one of the most devastating occupation periods in Europe:

• Severe famine during 1941–1942

• Widespread destruction and economic collapse

• Political instability following German withdrawal

• Rising tensions that would erupt into the December 1944 clashes (Dekemvriana), the opening phase of the Greek Civil War

The message references October events and notes that “the people are not settling down,” reflecting the fragile and uncertain atmosphere immediately after liberation.

Hyperinflation Stamps:

The postcard bears multiple high-denomination Greek stamps:

• Two blue 500,000 drachma stamps

• One red 500,000 drachma stamp

• One commemorative stamp depicting the Battle of Salamis

These extreme denominations reflect the hyperinflation crisis in Greece during 1943–1944 under German occupation. Inflation reached catastrophic levels, and postage values escalated into the hundreds of thousands and millions of drachmas.

These stamps are consistent with late-occupation and immediate post-liberation postal rates.

Censorship:

The card bears a clear circular U.S. CENSORSHIP – EXAMINED marking, indicating inspection upon arrival in the United States during wartime.

Physical Details

• Size: approximately 5.5 x 3.5 inches

• Original stamps intact

• Faded postmark

• Dated in the text: 10 November 1944

• Yellowing and age toning consistent with WWII-era paper

• No tears

• No creases

• Handwritten in Greek (full transcription available upon request)