Drachma

Drachma, DRACHM, DRAM. The drachma was a silver coin, the unit of the money-system in ancient Greece. It varied in value in different parts of Greece and at different times, but always remained the 6000th part of the talent, and the 100th part of the mina, and was divided into six obols. The Attic drachma is estimated as equivalent to 9¾d. of our money—very nearly a French franc. The drachma (originally 'a handful') was also the name of a weight, and 100 drachmas made a mina (nearly 1 lb.) in weight, as in money. The unit in the monetary system of modern Greece, since 1833, is also called a drachma, which is divided into 100 lepta, and in 1867 was made equal to the franc of the Monetary League, although since the renewal of the forced paper currency in 1885 it has been worth only about 8½d. The modern Greek weight called drachma is equal to $\backslash frac\{1\}\{2\}$ oz. avoirdupois. In the British system of weights there were, till recently, two drachms or drams: the avoirdupois, equal to $\backslash frac\{1\}\{16\}$ oz., and the apothecaries' (not now used), equal to $\backslash frac\{1\}\{8\}$ oz. See DIRHEM.