Coin of Mithradates VI, Komana Pontica c. 2th century

Curator: Looking at this coin, what strikes me is the palpable wear – the smoothed surfaces, the nicks on its edges. It speaks of countless transactions, carried in purses, exchanged between hands. Editor: Absolutely, there's a history embedded in its materiality. This is a silver coin of Mithradates VI Eupator from Komana Pontica, presently held at the Harvard Art Museums. Curator: Mithradates, a figure steeped in symbolism! The diadem, the sunburst crown—these are not mere decorations. They broadcast authority, divinity, and connection to solar power. Notice how his portrait blends Hellenistic and Persian visual cues. Editor: And consider the process – the die-striking technique used to impress these images onto the metal. The economic and social structures that supported such specialized labor. The silver itself would have been mined, refined, and distributed—a whole chain of production and consumption. Curator: It's fascinating how a small object like this can contain so much. We can see the echoes of empires, the aspirations of rulers, and the subtle ways they sought to legitimize their power through imagery. Editor: Indeed, a tiny artifact that allows us to consider the interplay of power, material, and labor.