This handsome didrachm belongs to the later classical issues of Cyrene, struck in the years following the city’s incorporation into the Ptolemaic sphere. The obverse presents the head of Apollo Karneios to left, rendered with a calm, idealized dignity characteristic of late 4th–early 3rd century BC engraving. Apollo Karneios, a distinctly Doric and regional manifestation of the god, underscores Cyrene’s strong cultural ties to the Greek mainland while asserting its own civic identity on the North African coast.

The reverse is dominated by the celebrated silphion plant, shown with four leaves and accompanied by the ethnic ΚΥ–ΡΑ. Silphion-now extinct-was the economic lifeblood and visual emblem of Cyrene, famed throughout the ancient Mediterranean for its culinary and medicinal properties. The small tripod in the left field adds a further Apolline resonance, linking commerce, cult, and civic authority into a single, powerful type.

This is a scarce issue, and the present example is particularly attractive. Although slightly off-center on the obverse, the coin shows only light circulation wear and is enhanced by lovely cabinet toning, lending depth and warmth to the surfaces. Overall, it is a pleasing and well-preserved specimen of an iconic Cyrenaican type.