Drachm of Mithradates II, Rhagai c. 123 - 188

Editor: This is a silver Drachm of Mithradates II from Rhagai, in the Harvard Art Museums. The imagery is quite worn, but I can make out a regal figure. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The images on coins are rarely accidental. The king’s portrait, the deity on the reverse - these are carefully chosen symbols of power and cultural identity. What do you think Mithradates II wanted to communicate? Editor: Perhaps legitimacy and strength? It seems very intentional, the way he's presented. Curator: Exactly. Even the choice of silver, the style of the diadem, the rendering of the figure on the reverse – they all contribute to a carefully constructed message, a visual echo through time. Editor: That's fascinating. I never thought about coins carrying so much symbolic weight. Curator: Indeed, they are powerful whispers from the past.