Cast Silver Coin of Alexander the Great, Amphipolis (forgery) 

Curator: Here we have a cast silver coin, a forgery modeled after coins of Alexander the Great from Amphipolis. Editor: It looks incredibly worn, doesn't it? Ancient, almost ghostly, as if the images are fading from memory. Curator: The wear is part of what makes it interesting. The process of creating copies – and the devaluation of labor in that act – complicates the story of value. Who made it, and why? What purpose did it serve? Editor: The image of Alexander, and the figure riding the horse… they evoke power, conquest, and perhaps a touch of hubris. These symbols traveled far. Curator: Exactly. Consider the material: silver, once mined, traded, smelted. Each step a negotiation of power. This object embodies trade routes, colonial exploits, and the social structures that enabled them. Editor: And it carries echoes of those narratives, even in its falseness. It’s a fascinating glimpse into the enduring power of symbols, and the stories they tell. Curator: Indeed. Materiality and meaning intertwine, constantly shaping our understanding of the past.