Coin of Dioscurias, time of Mithradates Eupator c. 120 - 163

Editor: This is a bronze coin from Dioscurias, during the time of Mithradates Eupator. It’s small, worn, but I find the texture fascinating. What can you tell me about it? Curator: I see here a record of material exchange and labor under Mithradates. The coin's very composition—the copper alloy, the die-striking process—reveals how resources were extracted and controlled. What does the imagery itself communicate about the state’s ambitions? Editor: I guess it represents power and trade? It's interesting how something so small can tell us so much. Curator: Precisely. Its weight, imagery, and distribution network all speak to the political and economic strategies of its time. We learn about ancient values through their monetary system.