Hemiobol

/ˌhɛmiˈoʊbɑl/ noun

Definition

An ancient Greek coin worth half of an obol, the smallest unit of currency in classical Athens.

Etymology

From Greek hemi- (half) + obol (a small coin), literally meaning 'half-obol,' used in ancient commerce around the 5th-4th centuries BCE.

Kelly Says

The hemiobol was so tiny it's almost impossible to imagine using it in real transactions—it would have been worth roughly what a penny is worth today, making it useful only for the very poorest people buying the cheapest goods.

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