Tetradrachm of Audoleon of Paeonia c. 315

Curator: Here we have a tetradrachm, a silver coin made during the reign of Audoleon of Paeonia. The coin weighs 12.54 grams and is now housed at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It’s striking how much information and power is contained within such a small, tactile object. The cool gleam of the silver itself suggests value and authority. Curator: Absolutely. The portrait of a deity, perhaps Artemis or Athena, connects Audoleon to divine authority. The horse on the reverse, though, speaks to Paeonia's famed horsemanship, their economic backbone and martial strength. Editor: It's fascinating how the materiality speaks to economic and political power, especially considering how accessible these coins would have been. They were tools of exchange, but also tools of propaganda. Curator: Precisely! Each element is deliberately chosen, creating an enduring image of Audoleon's kingdom. Editor: It makes you consider all the labor—from mining the silver to the artistry of the die—required to produce something we might now just see as a historical artifact. Curator: Indeed, a tiny window into a lost world, but one that still resonates across time. Editor: Yes, and it reminds us that even the smallest objects can carry the weight of empires.