The Banknote Printing Works Directorate is a state-of-the-art plant delivering products of high artistic quality that provide enhanced security against counterfeiting and forgery. It is the Bank of Greece’s in-house printing works that started operations in 1941.
The tasks of the Banknote Printing Works Directorate currently include printing euro banknotes, following approval by the European Central Bank (ECB); minting circulation euro coins, commemorative coins and medals on behalf of the Greek State and third parties; printing security documents, such as tobacco tax stamps, state lottery tickets, passports, visas, entry and residence permits, seafarer certificates, etc.
The Banknote Printing Works Directorate uses advanced equipment and cutting-edge technology, on a par with peer printing works and mints in Europe.
All operations are subject to the required quality controls, in accordance with the ECB’s instructions and international standards, so as to ensure high production quality.
Main tasks
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- to produce (print and finish) banknotes;
- to mint euro coins and collector and commemorative coins using various alloys;
- to produce security documents, such as lottery tickets, fiscal stamps, passports, Schengen visas stickers as well as various Certificates for the Greek state;
- to produce Bank forms, Publications and Reports, magazines and books for the Bank’s Administration, as well for all Directorates of the Bank (i.e. Centre for Culture, Research and Documentation);
- to carry out authenticity checks in order to detect any counterfeits (e.g. coins), including by conducting on-the-spot controls in processing centres pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 1210/2010;
- to conduct chemical analyses and other laboratory tests (on gold and other precious metals, euro coins, etc.) on behalf of the Bank and its customers.
Divisions
- Product Deνelopment and Marketing Division
- Quality Assurance and Eurosystem-related Matters Division
- Inventory Management Division
- Administration and Financial Services Division
- Security Products and Printed Material Production Division
- Banknote Printing Division
- lnνentory Control Division
- Pre-press Operations and Design Division
- Maintenance Division
- Minting Division