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Drachm
| Issuer | Kyrene |
|---|---|
| Year | 500 BC - 480 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Plain |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | ND (500 BC - 480 BC) |
| Additional information |
Kyrene's wealth in this period was built almost entirely on silphium, the now-extinct plant that made the city one of the most prosperous Greek colonies in North Africa. The plant was so central to the economy that it appeared on the coinage, and ancient sources — including Theophrastus — record that it could not be successfully cultivated elsewhere, giving Kyrene an absolute monopoly. By the first century AD, Pliny reported it effectively extinct, likely due to overgrazing and over-harvesting.
The Rosen specimen is considered a primary reference example for the early coinage of this mint.