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The obolus (or obol) is a Greek silver coin worth a sixth of a drachma. In Classical Athens it was subdivided into eight chalkoi ("copper pieces").

Attica, Athens. After 449 BC

LUCANIA, Metapontion. Circa 425-350 BC. Æ 21mm

According to Plutarch, the Spartans had an iron obolus of four chalkoi.

The obolus is also a measurement of weight. In ancient Greece it was defined as one sixth of a drachma, or about 0.5 gram. In ancient Rome it was defined as 1/48 of a Roman ounce, or about 0.57 gram, but was never issued as a coin as part of the early republican coinage system. Below the drachm was the dupondius (1/5) to the quartuncia (1/480) ^[1] In modern Greece it is equivalent to one decigram, or 0.1 gram.

The word "obolos" or "obelos" (plural: oboloi, obeloi) means a long thin metal rod, such as a spit. A small "obelos" is an "obelisk", euphemistically. "Oboloi" came to be used as currency because they represented ingots of copper or bronze, and were traded as such. Sparta chose to retain the use of the cumbersome, impractical "oboloi" rather than coins proper, so as to discourage the pursuit of wealth.

Silver obol of the Greco-Bactrian king Demetrius. Extremely small (12 millimeters in diameter), but beautifully crafted.

The deceased were buried with an obolus, placed under the tongue or on the eyes of the corpse, in order that, once a dead person's shade reached the underworld of Hades, it would be able to pay Charon for passage across the river Acheron. Those without enough wealth, or whose friends refused to follow proper burial rites, were forced to wander the banks of the Acheron for one hundred years.

In popular culture, the obol was used in the cult indie film "The Boondock Saints." Two brothers, in their role as vigilantes, place obols over the eyes of a murdered Mob Boss. This is an allusion to the aforementioned ancient Greek tradition.

"Obolus" is also the name of the final track on the "Sperm Whale" LP by the heavy metal band "Thrones". Thrones is a solo project of former Earth bassist Joe Preston.

1. ^ Ancient coin collecting 3 Wayne G. Sayles1997pg 19 ISBN 0-87341-533-7