Cyrenian Silphium Coin

[Hillbilly Prince]

I was wondering if anyone has ever found one of these.



This ancient coin held an image of a plant called Silphium.

"Silphium (also known as silphion, laserwort, or laser) was a plant that was used in classical antiquity as a seasoning, perfume, as an aphrodisiac, or as a medicine. 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)."

 

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[Mackaydon]

Interesting coin. It's similar to this one:

Silver didrachm, part of The Treasure of Benghazi collection was stolen by looters in Libya in 2011.
To answer your Q: I don't think one of these has appeared on Treasurenet.

Don...

 

[Hillbilly Prince]

Interesting coin. It's similar to this one:

Silver didrachm, part of The Treasure of Benghazi collection was stolen by looters in Libya in 2011.
To answer your Q: I don't think one of these has appeared on Treasurenet.

Don...

I bet it is the same. There was a click bait article about ancient medicines and such. The plant was made extinct by its popularity, it is thought.
I suppose most of those stolen coins ended up in private collections.

 

[A2coins]

I would need a diaper if I found one of those. lol

 

[Mackaydon]

Some history:
[h=4]Magas is the person on the coin. Ptolemy recovery Cyrene in 308 BC and installed his son Magas (308-277 AC). Magas entered revolt against Ptolemy II, his half brother between 277 and 261 BC After the death of Ptolemy Apion in 96 BC, Cyrenaica became a Roman province in 74 BC.[/h]Don......