Object ID
1994.41.16.E
Object Name
Coin
Date Created
1959
Material
Aluminum
Object Entities
Metevilis, Marina (is related to)
Object Description
Small, silver 10 lepta coin. Edges are smooth, there is a hole in the middle. On one side, there is a cluster of grapes at the top, then 2 "10"s on either side of the hole (and slightly lower), with Greek text at the bottom. On the opposite side, there is Greek text on the upper 2/3 perimeter. At the top of the hole, there is a royal crown, around the rest of the hole are olive branches. At the very bottom of the coin, the year "1959" is listed. There is some rust and dirt, but not much.
Origin
Lepton, 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. The coin in the lesson of the widow's mite is referred to as a lepton.
In modern Greece, Lepton 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 lambda. Until the introduction of the euro, no Greek coin had been minted with a denomination lower than 5 lepta since the late 1870s.

Agriculture was the foundation of the Ancient Greek economy and nearly 80% of the population was involved in this activity. During the early part of Greek history agriculture was based on cereals, such as barley, Durum wheat and, less commonly, millet or common wheat. Grapes also do well in the rocky soil, but demand a lot of care.
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Citation
Coin, 1959, National Hellenic Museum, https://collections.nationalhellenicmuseum.org/Detail/objects/9964. Accessed 04/16/24.