Tetradrachm of Ptolemy VIII c. 124

Editor: Here we have a silver Tetradrachm of Ptolemy VIII. The details are amazing for something so small! What can you tell me about its function as a political object? Curator: Well, coins like this were essentially mass media. The portrait of Ptolemy VIII presents a specific image of the ruler, controlling how he was perceived. Consider the iconography - what does the eagle symbolize in this context? Editor: Power, maybe? And that the coin was widely circulated would reinforce Ptolemy’s authority. It's interesting how art intersects with politics. Curator: Precisely! Currency becomes a tool for disseminating power. What does it mean for an image to be endlessly reproducible in this way? Editor: I hadn't considered that before. It makes you think about the power of images, even on something as mundane as money. Curator: Exactly. And thinking about who controlled the mint, the distribution routes...it all speaks to how power operates. Editor: This really adds layers to how I view such objects. Thanks for illuminating that! Curator: My pleasure. There's so much more to uncover by asking these questions!