History·8 March 2026·4 min read
The drachma — from antiquity to the euro
Greece used the drachma from ancient coins until 2002, one of the oldest currency names in the world.
The drachma is perhaps the longest-lived currency name: used in ancient Greece, then revived in modern Greece, until the euro in 2002. The word means "a handful" (of metal spits).
A bridge across millennia
Few words link the world of Socrates to the world of bank cards. The drachma is one of them — a reminder that the idea of money is ancient, yet always current.
