Tetradrachm of Ptolemy I c. 305

Curator: The Harvard Art Museums hold this ancient Tetradrachm of Ptolemy I, founder of the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt. Editor: It's...intense! That profile portrait looks like a man who’s seen things, you know? Maybe a little world-weary. Curator: The coin’s crafted with meticulous detail; observe the laureate portrait of Ptolemy on the obverse and the regal eagle, symbol of power, on the reverse. Editor: It's funny, such a small thing, yet it screams about control. To think someone handled this object long ago, making everyday choices in a world so completely different from ours. Curator: Indeed. It is a physical link to antiquity. The symbolism combined with the craftsmanship is really what makes it significant. Editor: Yeah, I guess holding history in your palm like that, well, it shifts your perspective, doesn’t it? I feel strangely connected now.