Tetradrachm of the Chalkidian League, Olynthos c. 355

Curator: Here we have a tetradrachm, a silver coin, issued by the Chalkidian League in Olynthos. Its weight is just over 14 grams. Editor: Something about the worn surface… it feels like holding a little piece of history, a worn-out worry stone echoing with marketplace chatter. Curator: Indeed. Its production represents the League's economic power and its ability to mint currency, facilitating trade and consolidating its influence within the region. Editor: On one side, a regal head wreathed in leaves, and on the other, a lyre. I feel a sort of poetic resonance. What's the story behind the lyre? Curator: The lyre was a symbol associated with Apollo, patron god of music and the arts, representing cultural sophistication and intellectual pursuits. It also may have had local significance. Editor: So, in a way, this little coin represents both the practicalities of commerce and loftier artistic ideals. It's beautiful how those things intertwine. Curator: Precisely. This piece embodies how material culture and artistic representation played a role in shaping identity and projecting authority in the ancient world. Editor: It's like a tiny, portable manifesto. Makes you wonder what our coins say about us.