Ancient drachma

This article is about the currency used in ancient Greece. For other uses, see Drachma.

In ancient Greece, the drachma (Greek: δραχμή, romanized: drachmḗ, [drakʰmέː]; pl. drachmae or drachmas) was an ancient currency unit issued by many city-states during a period of ten centuries, from the Archaic period throughout the Classical period, the Hellenistic period up to the Roman period. The ancient drachma originated in Greece around the 6th century BC.[1] The coin, usually made of silver or sometimes gold[2] had its origins in a bartering system that referred to a drachma as a handful of wooden spits or arrows.[3] The drachma was unique to each city state that minted them, and were sometimes circulated all over the Mediterranean.[4] The coinage of Athens was considered to be the strongest and became the most popular.[4]

Drachma in the Greek world
Above: Six rod-shaped obeloi (oboloi) displayed at the Numismatic Museum of Athens, discovered at Heraion of Argos. Below: grasp[n 1] of six oboloi forming one drachma.
Athenian silver didrachm of "heraldic type" from the time of Peisistratos, 545–510 BC. Obverse: Four-spoked wheel. Reverse: Incuse square, divided diagonally.
Greek drachma of Aegina. Obverse: Land Chelone / Reverse: ΑΙΓ(ΙΝΑ) and dolphin. The oldest Aegina chelone coins depicted sea turtles and were minted ca. 700–550 BC.
Silver tetrobol (4/6 of drachma) from Massalia. Obverse: Artemis wearing stephane. Reverse: ΜΑΣΣΑ[ΛΙΗΤΩΝ] (of Massalians), lion standing right.
Tetradrachm from Olympia. 105th Olympiad, 360 BC. Obverse: Head of Zeus. Reverse: The nymph Olympia, inscription: ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑ.
Silver Drachma of Philip III Arrhidaios, minted at Babylon. Obverse: Head of Herakles. Reverse: Zeus Aëtophoros.
  1. ^ "Drachma | Definition, History, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Archived from the original on 2023-04-13. Retrieved 2023-06-04.
  2. ^ Strassler, Robert B. (1996). The Landmark Thucydides. New York, NY: Free Press. p. 620.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference :3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Trade in Ancient Greece, archived from the original on 2023-05-19, retrieved 2023-05-19
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference LSJdrachme was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ δράσσομαι in Liddell and Scott.


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