Coin of Aesillas as Quaestor in Macedonia (forgery) 90 BCE - 70 BCE

Editor: So, this is a silver coin, a "Coin of Aesillas as Quaestor in Macedonia," but it's noted as a forgery. What strikes me is how much information and power it represents despite its small size. How do you interpret the significance of this coin, especially considering its contested authenticity? Curator: It’s fascinating how objects, even forgeries, accrue meaning. Coins weren't just currency; they were propaganda. Aesillas, as quaestor, used this imagery to project authority, but the forgery raises questions about whose power it aimed to undermine or co-opt. How does the act of replication itself affect our understanding of the original's purpose? Editor: That's a good question. It makes me think about how images of power circulate and how easily they can be manipulated, even back then. Curator: Precisely. It highlights the inherently political nature of imagery and its reception. The forgery, in a way, amplifies that message, revealing the anxieties and power dynamics at play in ancient Macedonia.