Tetradrachm of Ptolemy VI, Salamis c. 159

Curator: This is a Tetradrachm of Ptolemy VI, crafted in Salamis. I’m just struck by the weight of history it seems to carry. Editor: It does have that beautiful, aged look. Makes you think about what it has seen. I’m interested in how the coin was a political object. Curator: Absolutely. Look at the portrait of Ptolemy VI; it's a deliberate act of self-representation. A declaration of power, almost. Editor: A declaration forged under very specific patriarchal and class-based assumptions. Who was meant to recognize themselves in this image? Curator: The eagle on the reverse would have resonated too, right? A symbol of strength, of course, but perhaps also of divine authority. Editor: And a reinforcement of empire. It’s crucial to remember whose stories get minted, literally. Curator: I suppose, for me, it's also the intimacy of it. Imagine someone holding this, centuries ago. Editor: Holding it as a symbol of power. Let's not forget that context. Curator: Right. It’s always both, isn't it? The personal and the political, intertwined. Editor: Exactly. Every artifact is a witness, but we must be critical listeners to its silences.