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Didrachm - Magas
| Issuer | Kyrene (Kyrenaica) |
|---|---|
| Year | 300 BC - 275 BC |
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| Currency | Chian-Rhodian drachm |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A silphium plant shown frontally and in full, its distinctive multi-branched form rendered with characteristic precision: the central stalk rises from a bulbous root at the base, spreading into three tiers of lateral branches, each terminating in clusters of small spherical fruits or seed-heads. The topmost umbel is rendered as a large granulated sphere. The inscription KYPA is divided across the field, with KY to the left and PA to the right of the central stalk at mid-register, and what appears to be a magistrate's monogram (ME ligature) visible to the upper left. The silphium plant was the economic and civic emblem of Cyrene, and its faithful depiction here underscores its central importance to the city's identity and coinage. |
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| Reverse lettering | KYPA |
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| Additional information |
Magas served as governor of Cyrenaica under the Ptolemaic crown before declaring independence around 276 BC — a rebellion that drew in Antiochus I and triggered a Seleucid invasion of Egypt that Magas ultimately failed to capitalize on when a Libyan uprising forced him to turn back. This coin falls within the contested window of that political rupture, when Cyrene was transitioning from a Ptolemaic dependency into an autonomous kingdom under his rule. The BMC and Müller references place this type firmly within local Cyrenaean production rather than Ptolemaic overstruck or affiliated issues.