Coin of Philip V of Macedonia after 183

Curator: Here we have a coin of Philip V of Macedonia, currently held in the Harvard Art Museums, and what strikes me immediately is its scale—the weight is listed at just 7.56 grams. Editor: And that verdigris! The green corrosion speaks volumes about the material’s life, its burial, its rediscovery—it’s a powerful signifier of time and labor. Curator: Absolutely. And consider Philip V's reign, steeped in conflict, desperately trying to maintain Macedonian power against Roman expansion. This little coin would have been a tool in that struggle. Editor: Think of the miners extracting the raw materials, the smiths minting the coins, the merchants exchanging them. Every stage reveals power structures. Curator: It’s a potent symbol, a literal embodiment of power relations and how they trickle down, or don't, through society. Editor: Yes, it’s a tangible link to systems of production and exchange that shaped the ancient world. Curator: The coin reminds us that history isn't just about grand narratives; it’s embedded in the everyday objects that facilitated those narratives. Editor: Precisely. It's humbling to realize how much of the past is revealed in these humble materials.