Description

KYRENAICA, Kyrene. Circa 308-277 BC. Silver Didrachm
18mm, 7.50 g,  Head of Karneios left.  Rev:  Silphium plant.

Müller, Afrique 151; SNG Copenhagen 1234; BMC 229.

Very Fine and a lovely cabinet tone

Silphium (also known as silphion, laserwort, or laser) is an unidentified plant that was used in classical antiquity as a seasoning, perfume, aphrodisiac, and medicine.^[1][2] It also was used as a contraceptive by ancient Greeks and Romans.^[3] It was the essential item of trade from the ancient North African city of Cyrene, and was so critical to the Cyrenian economy that most of their coins bore a picture of the plant. The valuable product was the plant’s resin (laser, laserpicium, or lasarpicium).