Tetradrachm of Eukratides c. 170

Editor: This is a silver Tetradrachm of Eukratides, a coin weighing just over 17 grams. I see a man wearing a hat on one side, and what looks like horses on the other. What significance might these symbols carry? Curator: This coin embodies the complex power dynamics of the Greco-Bactrian kingdom. Eukratides usurped the throne, and these images were tools of legitimation. How do you interpret the choice of a military figure and equestrian imagery on a coin meant for circulation? Editor: It feels like deliberate propaganda, linking Eukratides to military strength and perhaps, equestrian nobility. Curator: Precisely! Consider how coinage, even then, functioned as a form of mass communication, shaping perceptions of leadership and solidifying social hierarchies. Editor: That makes perfect sense. I never considered ancient coinage as a form of political messaging before. Curator: Analyzing art through a lens of power helps us understand its active role in shaping history and culture.