Tetradrachm of Antigonus III Doson of Macedonia c. 227

Curator: Here we have a Tetradrachm of Antigonus III Doson of Macedonia, now residing here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It’s such a tiny, unassuming thing! But something about that regal profile… It feels heavy, burdened by time and power. Curator: The imagery on coinage is almost always deliberate. The depiction of power served as both propaganda and a representation of the state's values. Editor: And what values do you think this coin suggests? That stoic gaze, the rough texture of the metal... A kind of worn-down authority, maybe? Curator: Perhaps. Or perhaps a timeless authority, linking the ruler to the very foundations of Macedonian identity through symbolic association. Think about it, a tangible representation of leadership circulating in the ancient world. Editor: It’s incredible to think that this little disc, so worn and aged, once represented the literal face of power. I like that, it's as if the weight of history itself is imprinted on it. Curator: Indeed, a potent reminder of the enduring allure and symbolism embedded within the most humble of objects.