Drachma square

The drachma served as the currency in Ancient Greece for approximately ten centuries, primarily in the form of silver and occasionally gold. It was unique to each city-state that used it, but it circulated widely throughout the Mediterranean due to trade. During the 5th century BC, the Athenian tetradrachm emerged as the most prevalent currency in Greece before the era of Alexander the Great. One side of the coin featured the goddess Athena, while the other depicted an owl, earning it the nickname "glauka" (owl). The drachma was used again by the modern Greek state until 2002. In homage to the ancient drachma's "glauka," the owl is portrayed on the Greek one euro coins as a symbol of remembrance.