[ancients] Kyrenaika's silphium plant

Both of mine are bronzes but the triple silphium joined at the bases is a mite unusual if crude looking.

 

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What a great thread.

I was involved in a similar thread years ago at another site where I doubted any single plant could have all the purported medicinal properties that silphium had. I even went as far (certainly too far) to even doubt the plant's existence. (It's always important to challenge accepted dogma, especially for the younger numismatists.) Good stuff.

Here's a few links to silphium-related sites:

(Scroll down to see the article):
http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/200904/devil.s.dung-the.world.s.smelliest.spice.htm

http://www.jhecoins.com/articles/article06.htm

Even Wildwinds has a nice collection of coins:

http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/greece/kyrenaica/t.html

Celator magazine had a related article a couple years back.

Thank you for jolting the memory.

guy

 

Guy, your links aren't working for me. Maybe just post the URL's?

 

They aren't working for me either-- they go to a CT dead link message.

I'm guessing the first is this article: https://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/200904/devil.s.dung-the.world.s.smelliest.spice.htm

And the second this one? http://www.jhecoins.com/articles/article06.htm

 

Thanks everyone. They work now. Sorry about that.

guy

 

I just want to point out how quickly we are able to derail a topic as fast as the Ancient collectors on this forum. It took, I think, 9 posts on this thread to talk about a foot fetish!

Another fantastic coin TIF. You already have a bunch of animal coins and now you are branching in to plants? (I am still holding out to see that Nero though!)

 

I'm resurrecting this old thread because I recently acquired a bronze of Kyrene with a nice big Silphium reverse. Crazy patina though - chocolate brown with rosy/violet deposits and very glossy. Damn hard to photograph but great in hand!

 

I'm not sure if these images help or hinder the cause, but here they are - like I said, damn hard to photograph...

 

I really would like to see a way to kill threads older than some of the members.

After years of experimentation, I have decided that the best answer is not to buy hard to photograph coins.

 

I like that image over the earlier one though - much improved!

 

I like Silphium.

 

I am a Silphium fan too. I pretend like the reverse symbol is Silphium even though most call it an ivy leaf or unknown.

 

I just bought some Silphium (some Kyrene Red) from the Pharmacist @John Anthony on the Amish street corner. Maybe it will cure my cravings...

KYRENAICA Kyrene Æ25 9.6g 250 BCE Diademed Zeus-Ammon r - K-O-I-N-O-N; Silphium plant; monogram SNG Cop 1278 BMC 16-19

 

Just don't invite Nero over for dinner.

He will eat your last Sylphium salad when you are not looking.