Tetradrachm of Hermaios 20 BCE-20 CE

Curator: Before us is a silver tetradrachm, attributed to Hermaios. Its small scale really belies the weighty socio-political narratives it carries. Editor: It's so tactile, I can imagine holding it, feeling the cool silver and the echo of transactions, stories held in its worn surface. Curator: The production itself is fascinating – die-striking, cold working of the metal, signifying centralized authority through standardized iconography. The wear and tear speak to its use in trade, taxation, and perhaps even as a form of propaganda. Editor: And those little figures, so carefully etched – a king on one side, a seated deity on the other, like tiny gods trapped in a metallic dream. Curator: Exactly, the coin is a material trace of power dynamics and economic exchange within the Indo-Greek kingdom of that period. Editor: It makes you wonder who last held it, what were they buying? I feel the weight of history in this tiny coin. Curator: It is a portal, indeed, to a very different world. Editor: Absolutely, a shiny portal!