The heart shape was originally based on a plant used for ancient medicine
The iconic heart symbol may have originated from the seed pod of silphium, a giant fennel plant prized by the Romans for its medicinal properties and effectiveness as a natural contraceptive.
Ancient Cyrene grew so wealthy from silphium that they minted the plant’s heart-shaped seeds onto their currency. This botanical marvel was so valuable that it was worth its weight in silver and used to treat everything from coughs to fevers.
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