Kyrene, Cyrenaica (Polianthes, magistrate)

[B]Kyrene, Cyrenaica (Polianthes magistrate/moneyer; 322-313 BC.) AV Litra[/B] [u]Obv[/u]: Laureate head of Zeus Ammon with long hair, facing left; PO (Polianthes) monogram behind; linear circular border. [u]Rev[/u]: Nymph Kyrene wearing hair rolled, facing right; KY (Kyrene) monogram in front; linear circular w/ incuse. [u]Attribution[/u]: Naville 125; cf. BMC Cyrenaica 159-160; cf. SNG Cop. 1214 [u]Provenance[/u]: ex. Münzen and Medaillen AG Basel, 603 (#68), 1998; ex. Hess Divo 308 (#94), 10.24.07 [u]Weight[/u]: 0.87 gm [u]Maximal Diameter[/u]: 7.84 mm [u]Axis[/u]: 10 [u]Note[/u]: Polianthes, son of Kartisthenes and brother to Mnasarchos, may be the same person as that listed at Delphi as a Kyrenaean host of sacred envoys in the late third or early second century B.C. Of the KY on the reverse, Robinson writes, "The letters KY on nos. 147-49 (Pl. XV. 16-19) may be the ethnic, but as all the other 1/10 staters (litra) bear personal names, and very few an ethnic addition, it is more natural to regard them as the initials of a name. On no. 147a they occur on both sides of the coin like PO, PODI, on no. 158. If KYD (and KYQ) is Cydis II, KY should be Cychaeris." (BMC Cyrenaica, pg. lxxviii). However, this hypothesis would mean that both Polianthes and Cychaeris are listed on the same coin. GK268