The name drachma is derived from the verb dratto ("to
grasp"), as initially a drachma was a fistful (a "grasp")
of six oboloi (metal sticks), which were used as a form of currency
as early as 1100 BC. The 5th century BC Athenian tetradrachmon ("four
drachmae") coin was the most widely used coin in the Greek world
prior to the time of Alexander the Great.
After Alexander the Great's conquests, the name drachma was used
in many of the Hellenistic kingdoms in the Middle East, including the
Ptolemaic kingdom in Alexandria. The Arabic unit of currency known as
dirham known from pre-Islamic times and afterwards, inherited its
name from the drachma; the dirham is still the name of the official
currencies of Morocco and the United Arab Emirates. The Armenian dram
also derives its name from the drachma.
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