Greek lepton

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Reverse of a Greek 5 lepta coin (termed "obolos") of 1869.
This article is about the Greek currency. For the family of fundamental particles in physics, see Lepton.
Lepto redirects here. "Lepto" is sometimes used as a shortened name for Leptospirosis.

Lepton pl. lepta (Greek: λεπτόν pl. λεπτά) is the name of various fractional units of currency used in the Greek-speaking world from antiquity until today. The word means "small" or "thin", and during Classical and Hellenistic times a lepton was always a small value coin, usually the smallest available denomination of another currency.[1] The coin in the lesson of the widow's mite is referred to as a lepton.

In modern Greece, lepton (modern form: lepto, λεπτό) is the name of the 1/100 denomination of all the official currencies of the Greek state: the phoenix (1827–1832), the drachma (1832–2001) and the euro (2002–current) – the name is the Greek form of "euro cent". Its unofficial currency sign is Λ (lambda).[1] Since the late 1870s, and until the introduction of the euro in 2001, no Greek coin had been minted with a denomination lower than 5 lepta.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Fleur de Coin - Greek 50 Lepta Coins

External links

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