Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Drachma

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Rich, Anthony (1849). The illustrated companion to the Latin dictionary, and Greek lexicon. p. vi. OCLC 894670115. https://archive.org/details/illustratedcompa00rich. 

DRACH'MA (δραχμή). A drachm; the principal silver coin of the Greek currency, as the denarius was of the Roman, and of which there were two standards of different weights and value — the Attic and Aeginetan.

The Attic drachm, represented by the annexed wood-cut (Drachma/1.1), from an original in the British Museum, of the actual size, was mostly current in the north of Greece, the maritime states, and in Sicily. It contained six obols, and its average value was nearly equal to 9¾d. of our money; but when Pliny (H. N. xxi. 109.) speaks of the Attic drachma and Roman denarius as being of equal weight, it is to be understood that the latter had been reduced from its original standard. Hussey, Ancient Weights and Money, p. 47 — 48.

The Aeginetan drachm, represented by the next wood-cut (Drachma/1.2), also from an original of the same size in the British Museum, was used in Boeotia, and some parts of northern Greece, and in all the states of the Peloponnesus except Corinth. It was of a higher standard than the Attic, containing about 93 grains of pure silver, and was worth about 1s 1¾d. of our money. Hussey, Ancient Weights and Money, p. 59 — 60.

• 
  Drachma/1.1
• 
  Drachma/1.2