Golden drachmas are large, round coins that are usually made of gold or silver. They were used as currency by the Ancient Greeks. Mortals used to use the silver drachmas. However, as Chiron stated in The Lightning Thief, the gods never use anything less than pure gold. They are described as big as Girl Scout cookies by Percy, and are used by the gods and demigods. The drachmas have images of various gods stamped on one side, and the Empire State Building on the other.
Uses
The ancient mortal drachmas were made of silver, but the gods now do not use anything less than pure gold mined from Olympus. Golden drachmas are used as currency, to send Iris message, and for getting a taxi ride from the Gray Sisters.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Drachma can be used for the following:
- To send an Iris Message
- As payment to get into the Underworld
- To pay the Gray Sisters to take you anywhere as long as its within their serving area
- As payment for sending a letter or package along the Hermes Express
Currently, the pure gold drachma is the main currency of the gods, goddesses, and demigods.
The most common use for the drachma is to send an Iris Message through Iris, the rainbow goddess. It is used for contact when nothing else is available, and is quite useful if any extra drachmas are allowed for use.
The Lightning Thief
After beheading Medusa, Percy Jackson fills a pouch with drachmas and mails the head to Olympus and He later uses some drachmas to bribe Charon when he first enters the Underworld.
The Sea of Monsters
When summoning the Gray Sisters' Taxi, Annabeth Chase throws a drachma in the street which falls through.
Hermes includes a bag of golden drachmas in the duffle bags that he gives to Percy for Percy, Annabeth and Tyson to use on their quest.
While searching for money, Percy discovers that all he has on him is a single drachma. Later, he uses the drachma to create an Iris Message to Camp Half-Blood so that he can trick Luke Castellan into revealing to everyone that it was he who had poisoned Thalia's Pine Tree.
The Titan's Curse
Poseidon adds a saltwater fountain to his cabin filled with golden drachmas, presumably to make Iris messaging easier for Percy. Percy subsequently uses this to communicate with his half-brother Tyson and his mother Sally Jackson.
Percy later uses a drachma to send an Iris Message to Dionysus.
The Battle of the Labyrinth
Percy receives a collect Iris Message from the spirit of Bianca di Angelo in the Underworld which requires him to throw a drachma into the message himself.
The Heroes of Olympus
The Son of Neptune
Roman demigods don't use drachmas because it's Greek currency. Instead they use denarii. The Romans never used Iris Messages like the Greeks because they relied more on their giant eagles and road systems.
The Mark of Athena
The first Mark of Athena takes the form of a silver drachma given by Athena and Minerva to her children.
It's mentioned that while Percy was missing, Annabeth had spent hundreds of golden drachmas on Iris-messages to every friendly spirit, demigod or monster that they had ever met in search of him without any luck.
The House of Hades
Frank Zhang notices that Coach Hedge's nightstand contains a bottle of water, a stack of golden drachmas, a flashlight and a glass prism for making rainbows, causing Frank to realize that the coach had come prepared to send a lot of Iris-messages.
The Senior Year Adventures
The Chalice of the Gods
Percy Jackson keeps a bowlful of golden drachmas in his room as part of Percy's Iris Message setup so that he can talk with Annabeth Chase every night. Annabeth is mentioned to have a similar setup in her dorm room.
Film
The Lightning Thief
Percy, Grover Underwood, and Annabeth find a fountain filled with drachmas at Aunty Em's Gnome Emporium which they later use to pay Charon after their mortal money was burnt by him.
Video Game
The Lightning Thief
Drachmas aren’t used as currency, instead they are used as equipment for characters. They increase certain attributes to whoever equips it. Each character can equip two. There are 20 drachmas that the player can collect in the game.
| Name | Effect |
| Missing Math Teacher | 10+ Dodge |
| A Rainy Farewell | 10+ Strength |
| The Minotaur’s Horn | 10+ Strength |
| Beginner’s Luck | 10+ Accuracy |
| Victors | 10% Water Damage |
| Hot Time At Camp | 10% Fire Damage |
| Road Trip | 10+ Protection |
| Worst Bus Ride Ever | 50+ Max HP |
| Bad Hair Day | 10% Poison Damage |
| Ten Heads Aren’t Better | 10% Physical Damage |
| Fan Club President | 20% Fire Damage |
| To Fight a God | 20% Strength |
| Back Together Again | 20+ Protection |
| A Pricy Ride | 20% Water Damage |
| Worse Hair Day | 20+ Dodge |
| All that Glitters | 20% Healing |
| Shot in the Dark | 20+ Accuracy |
| Payback | 20% Poison Damage |
| Brotherly Love | 100+ Max HP |
| Arena Champions | 20% Physical Damage |
Gallery
Trivia
- Drachmas are Greek currency, while aureus or denarii are Roman currency.
- The word drachma came from the word drássomai, which means "to grasp."
- The Drachma was the oldest currency in use until Greece adopted the Euro in 2001 [1].
- Though Percy describes the drachma's as being as big as girl scout cookies, in The Lightning Thief, they are the size as regular coins.
- Golden Drachmas are the Greek counterpart of Denarius and Red Gold.