Tetradrachm of Alexander the Great, Babylon c. 311

Editor: This is a Tetradrachm of Alexander the Great, minted in Babylon. It's incredible to see the detail on such a small object. What can you tell me about its creation and meaning? Curator: We should examine the material—silver—and its source. Who controlled those mines, and what labor extracted that precious metal? How did the process of minting these coins, a standardized form of exchange, facilitate Alexander's imperial project and the movement of goods? Editor: So, it's not just about the images, but the whole economic and social system behind it? Curator: Precisely. Consider the coin as a tool, a product of its time, reflecting power dynamics and trade networks. We gain a deeper understanding of its significance. Editor: That’s a very different way to appreciate it than I imagined! Thanks.