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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Ian, post: 151357, member: 283&quot;]Hmm. To be honest, I think the `didrachm&#039; was in use long before Syracuse produced any of its own coinage.</p><p><br /></p><p>The term `drachm&#039;&nbsp; (translates as `a handful&#039;) is based upon the weight of grain, the basic commodity of that era. There wasn&#039;t a `standard&#039; for the drachm throught the greek world. It varied from region to region due to a number of factors, one of which was the availability of silver. For example, the Aeginetan standard was 96 grains per `drachm&#039;. The Phoenician standard was 56 grains per drachm. The Aeginetan `turtles&#039; were two standard Aeginetan drachms (ie a `didrachm&#039;). The Aeginetan turtles are called `staters&#039; rather than `didrachms&#039; for some reason I don&#039;t claim to have knowledge of, but the word `stater&#039; just means `a standard&#039;. A standard what (you might well ask)?...Well, in the case of the `turtles&#039; it&#039;s a standard two drachms weight of grain in Aegina. That&#039;s&nbsp; what.&nbsp; <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie2" alt=";)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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