Greece - 20 lepta 1976 (Stallion) EUR 0.40
San Marino - 20 cents 2008 (Saint Marinus inspired by a painting of the school of Guercino) EUR 1.45
Estonia - 2 cents 2012 (Geographical image of Estonia) EUR 0.25
Greece - 10 lepta 1976 (Charging bull) EUR 0.25
Netherlands - Complete Year Set 2012 EUR 7.90
The name drachma is derived from the verb dratto ("to grasp"), as initially a drachma was a fistful (a "grasp") of six oboloi (metal sticks), which were used as a form of currency as early as 1100 BC. The 5th century BC Athenian tetradrachmon ("four drachmae") coin was the most widely used coin in the Greek world prior to the time of Alexander the Great.
After Alexander the Great's conquests, the name drachma was used in many of the Hellenistic kingdoms in the Middle East, including the Ptolemaic kingdom in Alexandria. The Arabic unit of currency known as dirham known from pre-Islamic times and afterwards, inherited its name from the drachma; the dirham is still the name of the official currencies of Morocco and the United Arab Emirates. The Armenian dram also derives its name from the drachma.
The following 2 drachma coins have circulated in Greece until the introduction of the Common European Currency on January 1, 2002:
Amongst the heroines of the Greek War of Independence (1821-1830) was Manto Mavrogenous. She was educated at a college in Triestio and spoke Italian and Turkish. She studied ancient Greek philosophy and history. In 1809 her family returned to Mykonos, ...
Georgios Karaiskakis (1782 - 1827) grew up in poverty and was forced to the mountains as kleftis. He was one of the first to take part in the Greek revolution to gain independence from the Ottoman Empire and his military genius became apparent during ...
Greek Drachma Coins
Author: Ioannis Androulakis