For my 45th coin in "Philip II, Alexander III, and the Age of the Diadochi," I targeted Magas of Kyrene. He was an interesting person, having received governage from his stepfather Ptolemy I. His step-siblings were Arsinoe II and Ptolemy II. After the death of Ptolemy I, Magas asserted independence for Kyrene, and initially joined with Antiochos I in an attack on his stepbrother. However, what I find far more fascinating about this coin is not the person, but what's depicted. It's an ancient plant called Silphium, which most believe is now extinct. Kyrene, Magas (Ptolemaic governor, c. 300-282/75 BC). AR Didrachm (20mm, 7.30g, 12h). Head of Karneios r. R/ Silphion plant; ZE monogram to upper l., crab to upper r., KY-PA across lower field. BMC 256; cf. SNG Copenhagen 1243. Ex London Ancient Coins. Magas issued a wide coinage in gold, silver, and bronze. Given the history of silphium, though, I had to have a coin that depicted it. These silver didrachms can get pricy, so mine is worn - but the important parts are still clear. Easily the most valuable plant at the time, it transformed Kyrene from a backwater to one of the richest cities in the Mediterranean. The list of capabilities is impressive: a contraceptive and abortifacient. Cures a soar throat, fever, warts, and more. Used as a seasoning and perfume. When eaten by goats, it makes the meat incredibly tender. What I wonder today is whether silphium was just a "craze", akin to the Dutch tulip madness, or whether it was truly a remarkable weed. Sadly, it went extinct during the time of the 12 Caesars, so we'll probably never know. Theories on its demise range from overgrazing to desertification to "it's still around." So important was silphium to Kyrene's economy (it only grew there), that many of its coins feature the plant. This one displays the stalk, bloom(?) at the top, and a crab. My suspicion is the crabs had something important to do with the plant. Its seeds were supposedly shaped like hearts, and many believe the plant's association with fertility and use as a contraceptive gave our current heart shape its form. My suspicion is silphium as a species no longer exists. Given that it was traded as far as India (and maybe beyond?), had it grown somewhere else, someone back then would have noticed. What I do wonder, though, is would our world be a bit different were it still to exist? Could it have cured cancer? Was it actually an effective contraceptive? Would our top steaks today involve silphium? Or, was the whole thing blown out of proportion? Please post your photos of coins of: a) Extinct species of plants or animals OR b) Kyrene
Very interesting. I read about silphium once but I don't remember the source. I don't know if it had psychedelic and anti-poison properties like snowdrop did in Greece. Called "moly" by the Greeks it appeared in Homer's Odyssey.
Nice coin and write up @kirispupis . The silphium coins of Cyrene are extremely fascinating. I was happy to score mine last year. It was struck under Magas like yours. Cyrenaica Cyrene AR didrachm, struck ca. 308-277 BC Magas as Ptolemaic governor Dia.: 20 mm Wt.: 7.62 g Obv.: Bare head of Apollo-Carneius right, with horn Rev.: K-Y / P-A, silphium plant, cornucopia in inner right field Ref.: SNG Copenhagen 1234; BMC 228 Formerly slabbed by NGC
Pliny reported that the last known specimen of silphium was presented to Nero. There are apparently no further records of the plant after that. The meme is that the Romans had so much sex that they hunted the silphium to extinction, being that it was used for contraception as well as an aphrodisiac. I don't think that's entirely true, but would be funny if so.
Because sylphium was associated with love and sexuality, it's also conjectured that our traditional heart symbol evolved from silphium seeds, which have exactly that shape. They are depicted on a very rare Cyrenian drachm, BMC 18, SNG Copenhagen 1165...
Here is an old thread from 2010 to a non-numismatic site discussion about silphium. (Many of the links within are now broken.): https://www.unrv.com/forum/topic/11470-silphium-numismatic-evidence/?tab=comments#comment-106467
Every time this comes up, I show my bronze and triple hoping someone else has a nicer one to share. Obviously the big silvers are better. Kyrene AE16 S6341 Karneios hd rt / three silphium plants arranged 'starwize' K Y P around (wow, mine has full reverse legend) https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=7927794 https://cngcoins.com/Search.aspx?IS..._TYPE_ID=2&VIEW_TYPE=0&MAX_COUNT=10000&PAGE=1
Strange discussion. Silphium is well-documented in antiquity not only through coins, but also through pottery and first-hand accounts. There's no doubt that such a plant existed. The real question is whether it truly had any of the medicinal qualities attributed to it. It's so common for cultures to exaggerate or even misrepresent the medicinal uses of herbs, that I'm highly doubtful that it truly worked as advertised. However, I do think there are some fascinating questions if it did. After all, clearly the plant must have done something for the entire economy of Kyrene to be based on it and for the entire world to go so nuts. Either that, or someone back then was the all time master of brand marketing. Some questions I wonder about it: - If it did induce abortions, would the Catholic church have tolerated it? - Would it have contributed to our medical knowledge today? - Would Kyrene have been a major player through medieval times had it continued to be produced? - Would national borders be different today had it continued? - Would it be a staple of our culinary experience today?
That one is easy. The last Silphium on earth is said to have been given to Nero who consumed it. It had been very rare before that for a while. The 'Catholic Church' in the time of Nero was probably more concerned by things like avoiding being crucified than in upholding rules not previously considered. At that time, many/most Christians were expecting the second coming of Christ and end of the world any day now and certainly during their lifetime. The history of the early church and details of the various beliefs is an interesting study. We can not allow ourselves to read beliefs 2000 years later into any people of the time of Silphium.
@kirispupis great addition! .. and my favorite topic! I have no question that silphium existed and it was the backbone of the economy of Kyrenaika for centuries until its extinction. One of my major interests is what did it look like? Followed by: Why hasn't some archaeobotanist found some in the bottom of a jar somewhere to extract the DNA? Here's a nice summary by @Jochen1 from an old thread: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/the-silphium-plant.359111/ Here's a thesis I call "more than you ever wanted to know about silphium:" http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/3166/1/3166_1191.pdf An old Celator article about Kyrenaika and it's "silphium" coinage: http://community.vcoins.com/celator-vol-13-no-10-2/ Another Celator article that silphium may still exist: http://community.vcoins.com/celator-vol-15-no-02/ While silphium reportedly has many culinary and medicinal uses, it's greatest value may have been as an abortifacient although not specifically mentioned in ancient sources. Even in ancient times, there was emphasis on the quality of "Cyrenic silpium" over "inferior silphium' that grew in other places. I believe "Cyrenic" silphium is extinct and people get confused by similar species that still exist. The Hellenistic representation of silphium, like on the Magas didrachms, is very stylized. The most realistic representation, but still somewhat stylized, may be on earlier tetradrachms like this one: Kyrene AR "Asiatic" tetradrachm 400-375 BC 13.01 gm, 27 mm O: silphium plant with small shoot & root, K-Y/P-A around R: head Zeus Ammon left BMC 71(VIII:9) Provenance: J. Hirsch 32, lot 602 11/14/1912 It is one of my favorites because of the little shoot coming off the root.
I agree, but my question was more of - "What if silphium didn't go extinct? What if its production continued to modern times and it actually did induce abortions? Would the Catholic Church at some point in its history have worked to eradicate it?" It's all "what if", but IMHO such questions are fascinating to ponder.
The BBC had an interesting article on silphium a few years ago: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20170907-the-mystery-of-the-lost-roman-herb Here's my only coin from Kyrene. Kyrenaica, Kyrene Coin: Gold Tenth Stater Obv.: [ΑΡΙ] - Bearded head of Zeus Ammon left, wearing horn Rev.: Female head (Kyrene?) facing slightly to right Mint: (ca 331-322 BC) Wt./Size/Axis: 0.85g / 7mm / 12h References: BMC 139 Acquisition: Obolos (Nomos) Online auction Obolos 4 #445 21-Feb-2016 ATB, Aidan.
Mine has a gazelle? KYRENAIKA, Kyrene AE18. 6.37g, 18mm. KYRENAIKA, Kyrene, time of Ophellas, as Ptolemaic governor, first reign, circa 322-313 BC. BMC 282 & Pl. XXV, 15; SNG Copenhagen -, cf. 1248-1250. O: Gazelle standing to right, ΣO above, bunch of grapes hanging from vine before. R: Silphium plant.
Always fascinated me too. Here is mine again Kyrenaika, Kyrene AR Didrachm. Koinon issue, circa 250 BC. Diademed head of Zeus Ammon right / Silphium plant with four leaves; ibex horn in upper left field, KOI-NON across fields. BMC 1; SNG Copenhagen 1275. 7.81g, 21mm, 12h.
Here's an intermediate owl of the fourth century BC, Pi-Style III (Bingen Pi III), with what appears to be an obverse counterstamp in the form of the heart-shaped silphium seed, at least that was the feedback that I got when I posted this coin earlier this year, and I am inclined to go along with it. This coin might be an imitative owl. Purchased from an Israeli dealer in spring 2021. 16.3 grams
SILPHIUM Bronze 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
I posted one of my favorite representations of silphium on a coin, so here is one that I consider the ugliest: Kyrene Crassus 37-34 AD AE quadrans 2.94 gm O: head Libya right R: silphium plant, K - Υ / Ρ around BMC 26b; Asolati 149a/1 (this coin illustrated); RPC 918 While historically important as the last Kyrenaika coin to portray silphium, leave it to the Romans to strike a coin with silphium that looks more like a coat rack than a plant. Maybe silphium became extinct because the plants died out from embarrassment!
