Siglos of the Achaemenid Kings c. 450

Editor: This is an image of Siglos of the Achaemenid Kings from the Harvard Art Museums. It's a small silver coin, quite worn, but you can still make out figures on both sides. What can you tell me about the process used to create an object like this? Curator: Well, the striking of these coins speaks volumes about Achaemenid power. Consider the labor: the mines, the metalworkers, the die engravers. And the purpose! These weren't just pretty baubles; they fueled the empire’s machinery. Editor: So, it's less about the artistic skill and more about the economic impact? Curator: Not entirely. The imagery—the king, the animals—it's all carefully designed propaganda, reflecting the empire’s self-image. Think about the dissemination of that image through trade and tribute. Editor: I hadn’t considered the coin as a form of mass production and messaging. It's interesting to consider how its material value also carries ideological weight. Curator: Exactly. Materiality and meaning are always intertwined.