What was the currency in Greece before the euro?

According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, the currency of modern Greece was the drachma before the euro replaced it in 2002. The drachma was introduced in 1832, replacing the short-lived currency called the phoenix, which was introduced after the 1828 independence of Greece from the Ottoman Empire.

Drachma also refers to the silver coin used in ancient Greece. The drachma was one of the earliest coins. The Encyclopædia Britannica states that it was used as early as the mid-6th century B.C. The Athenian drachma became the Hellenistic world's chief currency after the conquests of Alexander the Great. The ancient drachma was the prototype for the Islamic dirham.