Tetradrachm

Kyrene's early coinage was almost certainly tied to the silphium trade — the city-state held a near-monopoly on the plant, which commanded extraordinary prices across the Mediterranean world as a condiment, medicine, and contraceptive. Control of that export made Kyrene one of the wealthiest poleis in North Africa, and the resources to strike heavy silver tetradrachms reflected that position directly.

The Aiginetan weight standard used here places these issues firmly within the commercial networks of the eastern Mediterranean before Kyrene realigned toward Attic-weight coinage later in the fifth century.