Numismatica e documentazione epigrafica: piedi monetali e l’introduzione del bronze standard a Cirene

Inscriptions from ancient Cyrene offer little help in the analysis of local coinage. Although explicit attestations of coin standards can only be found in two texts, either of which problematic, more important information could come from the accounts of the damiergoi. Ranging from 4th to 2nd century BC, these accounts are our main source on the local system of acrophonic numerals and the evolution of crop prices in the city. Furthermore, 2nd-century damiergoi accounts show a substantial increase in crop prices, which attests to the introduction of Ptolemaic “bronze standard” in Cyrenaica. Some further conclusions are also possible if contemporary coinage is taken into account: bronze drachms were likely introduced during the 180es, while sound hypotheses about the Cyrenaean coins’ face values can be put forth.