Greek drachma
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- "Drachma" can also refer to a fictional country in the anime Fullmetal Alchemist.
- An ancient currency unit found in many Greek city states and successor states, and in many Middle Eastern kingdoms of the Hellenistic era.
- A modern Greek currency, introduced in 1832, and replaced by the euro in 2001 (at the rate of 340.750 drachma to the euro). Euro currency did not begin circulating until 2002, but the exchange rate was fixed in 2001.
Ancient Drachma
The name Drachma is derived from the verb "δράττω" (dratto, "to grasp"). Initially a drachma was a fistful (a "grasp") of six oboloi, sticks of metal used as currency as early as 1100 BC.
The 5th century BC Athenian tetradrachm ("four drachmae") coin was the most widely used coin in the Greek world prior to Alexander the Great. It featured the helmeted profile bust of Athena on the obverse (front) and an owl on the reverse (back). In daily use they were called γλαῦκαι glaukai (owls), hence the phrase
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