Monetary system of ancient Greece was based on units of mass, which simultaneously served as and weight, and accounting units. For Greece it was above all the talent, Mina, Drachma, Obol, contribution, as well as the Hulk, pandered to the following base ratios, but had many local deviations: 1 talent = 60 min = 3000 staterov = 6000 drachmas; 1 Stater = 2 drachmas (didrachm) = 12 obols = 96 halkov.
In the form of coins were minted only Staters, drachmas, oboly, Halki, their fractions (e.g. 1/6-hectares statera) and multiple (e.g., tetradrachm-4 drachmae). Talent and Mina were exclusively sčëtnymi concepts.
As weight and accounting unit of Greece already was mentioned by Homer's talent, it was subdivided into 60 min, Mina consisted of 100 parts — drachmas and the Drachma from 6 obols. Thus, 1 talent was equal to 60 mines, 6000 drachmas, 36000 obols.
The word Mina (Biblical Greek. μνᾶ) comes from the Assyro-Babylonian "Mana" — take it; Drachma (δραχμή) — from the ancient Greek word "handful" or "seized the ball. The name dates back to the days when money Exchange tool was metal tetrahedral tonoyan-oboly (Al-Grech. ovolos — «spit»), six pieces which, squeezed in a handful, and accounted for the Drachma.
Three basic monetary unit of ancient Greece: Stater, Hulk and contribution. Stater (statir) — rocker weights "," Libra ") is usually denoted double (sometimes triple) weight — drachmas, and was equal to 1/50 mines or 2 drachmae. The name of the Hulk (etc-Grech. chalkos) comes from the ancient Greek word (χαλκός-copper). Lepta (Greek. is a small slim leptos) — originally the smallest unit of weight, becoming then the smallest copper coin. In Athens, 1 Obol was equal to 8 halkam and Hulk-leptam 7. Around the 1st century a.d. 1 Hulk was already 2 leptam.
A characteristic feature of the monetary system of ancient Greece was the lack of a single coin-operated foot and the multiplicity of standards, which differ in different content of precious metal in coin and using as a base the monetary metal gold or silver — there were about fifteen of these standards. Each Polis, being politically autonomous, possessed the right of minting its own coins and used his allowance (the total number of centres of the coinage of ancient Greece and its colonies exceeds 2000), so we can only speak about the most common foot. Such, since elevation of Athens became the attičeskaâ monetary of stop, which established itself in Athens as a result of the legislation of Solon, presumably in the beginning of the 6th century BC.driving èginskuû didn't stop. Even in the archaic era attic rule spread in northern Greece, in the Kirenah (North-African coast) and in Sicily. In the 4th century BC. Philip II introduces her in Macedonia for gold coins, and Alexander the great is for silver. As a result, stop attičeskaâ became the dominant norm for minting coins in the Eastern Mediterranean.
With the development of technology of minting and increasing skill of artists and engravers, the image on the reverse of the complicated and acquired stylistic and semantic role of the "second violin" supporting the aversnuû side of the coin. The hierarchy of the parties has been taken into account and when manufacturing technology coins: upper stamp (reverse) Chafe much faster, so it placed minor within the meaning of and the value of the image, and on the lower stamp (obverse) often placed the image of God or ruler. Gradually in the process of manufacturing coins and its further treatment of round shape with double-sided coins coinage supplanted other forms of payment means. And coin acquired those basic features and form, which remained virtually unchanged until the present day.
The first coins minted at Corinth became and Anatolian Greek cities. Links about Lydia's priority is not confirmed by a single coin. Most likely the researchers of the nineteenth century, attributed them to Lydia, because the Greek cities of Ionia to the period of the first coinage coins were subjugated by Lydia.
The enduring charm of ancient coins.
Bronze top stamp Athenian tetradrachms, and the reverse of the silver Athenian coin 4 BC.