Tetradrachm of Macedonia under Aesillas Quaestor, Thessalonike 90 BCE - 70 BCE

Curator: Here we have a silver tetradrachm of Macedonia, issued under Aesillas Quaestor in Thessalonike. The weight is approximately 16.67 grams. Editor: It has such a raw, honest feel to it, like unearthed buried treasure with its imperfections and the ghostly face staring out. Curator: Indeed. The profile is likely a depiction of Alexander the Great, while the reverse shows symbols of Macedonia: a club, a money chest, and the quaestor's name, encircled by a laurel wreath. Editor: The imagery really grounds you in a specific time and place. The symbols become a kind of shorthand for power, prosperity, a visual language of the era. Curator: Precisely. The coin served not just as currency but as a propaganda tool, reinforcing the power of Macedonia under Roman rule. Editor: It's fascinating how something so small can hold so much cultural weight. It leaves me wondering about the hands it passed through. Curator: A tangible link to the past. Editor: Absolutely, a little world.