Rare, 1910, Banque d’Orient Statuts, Original Greek Banking Document, Estia Athens

Description

A very rare and historically significant original 1910 financial document from early 20th-century Greece.

This is the first edition Statuts (Articles of Association) of the Banque d’Orient (Bank of the Orient), printed by Imprimerie Hestia in Athens. It offers an exceptional glimpse into the legal and institutional foundations of one of the most influential Greek-affiliated banks operating in the Eastern Mediterranean.

 

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Banque d’Orient, Société Anonyme, Capital: 25 Millions de Francs – Statuts

• Publisher: Imprimerie Hestia, Athens

• Year: 1910

• Edition: First Edition

• Pages: 20

• Dimensions: 23 cm × 15.5 cm

• Binding: Original paper binding

• Language: French

• Condition: Very good vintage condition with light wear consistent with age (see photos)

 

Historical Context

Founded in 1904 as a subsidiary of the National Bank of Greece, the Banque d’Orient held branches in Thessaloniki, Smyrna (Izmir), and Alexandria. Its creation coincided with the final decades of the Ottoman Empire and a period of intense financial transformation in the Balkans and the Levant.

The bank played a central role in facilitating commerce, credit, and investment across the Eastern Mediterranean.
These 1910 Statuts document the bank’s capital structure, governance, shareholder framework, and jurisdiction at a formative moment in its history.

The Banque d’Orient later merged into the National Bank of Greece in the early 1930s—making surviving primary documents like this one scarce and highly collectible.

 

Collectible Significance

• Scarce early Greek financial imprint (Athens, 1910)

• Primary source on governance and operations of Banque d’Orient

• Printed by Imprimerie Hestia, a key Athenian press

• Valuable for historians of finance, economists, bank collectors, and researchers of the Levant and Modern Greek economic history

 

Condition & Shipping

The booklet is in very good vintage condition, with minor toning and handling marks consistent with age.

 

Item will be carefully packaged and shipped with tracking for secure international delivery.