KYRENAICA. Barke. Circa 480-435 BC. Drachm (Silver, 17 mm, 3.44 g, 6 h), 'Asiatic' standard. [B]-A Silphion plant with two pairs of leaves and fruits. Rev. B-A-P-K Bearded head of Zeus-Ammon to right, with large ram's horn over his ear, within pelleted circle; all within incuse square. BMC -, cf. 11 and pl. XXXIV, 9 (same reverse die, but anepigraphic obverse). BMFA -. SNG Copenhagen -, cf. 1285 (same reverse die, but anepigraphic obverse). Extremely rare and among the finest known drachms from Barke. An exceptionally attractive piece with a beautiful late archaic head of Zeus Ammon. Minor edge cracks and with some die wear on the obverse, otherwise, about extremely fine.


According to Herodotus, Barka was founded around the middle of the 6th century BC by the brothers of the Kyrenaean king Arkesilaos II, who had quarreled with him. The city flourished rapidly due to trade with Silphion and developed into the main rival of its mother city, which it apparently surpassed in importance in the second half of the 5th century BC. Its decline began with the establishment of its port as Ptolemais by Ptolemy III (246-222 BC). Subsequently, the inland city of Barka declined to the status of a vicus in Roman times.