lepta

Lepta, plural of lepton, is a term used for very small units of currency in both ancient and modern Greek contexts. The word derives from the Greek lepton, meaning “small” or “thin.” In ancient coinage, leptai were the lowest denomination in many city-states, typically bronze coins valued at a small fraction of a drachma. The exact value and weight varied by city and era, but leptai commonly circulated as everyday change in markets, crafts, and daily transactions. They accompanied higher denominations such as the drachma and obol and served as practical small-sum currency in the Greek world.

In practice, leptai were minted across the Greek world from the late Archaic period through the Hellenistic era, with Athens producing numerous examples. The designs on leptai were usually simple, reflecting their low value and the metal used (bronze or similar alloys); imagery tended to be city-symbolic rather than grand monumental portraits.

In modern Greece, the term lepta (λεπτά) refers to the subunit of the euro. 100 lepta equal 1 euro, and lepta are used in price notation and everyday speech to denote euro cents. The use of the term in Greek currency notation persists in everyday language, even though Greece is now part of the eurozone.