Tetradrachm of Seleucus I, Seleucia on the Tigris c. 312

Curator: Just look at this beautiful silver coin from Seleucia on the Tigris. It's a tetradrachm of Seleucus I. Editor: It's surprisingly affecting. Something about the worn silver, the rough-hewn portrait...it feels incredibly human. Curator: It's more than just a portrait, though. It's a deliberate construction of power. These coins were tools of empire. How do you portray yourself as a ruler? Editor: He's gazing upwards. It reminds me how artists are still concerned with that question of "looking up" – towards an ideal or a future. Curator: Absolutely. And remember the historical context: Seleucus was a successor to Alexander the Great. These images were all about legitimacy. Editor: It's a small thing, but this coin is also a reminder that even then, representations of power were carefully managed. So much to see in so little. Curator: Indeed, a pocket-sized propaganda piece.