Tetradrachm of Antiochos III the Great of Syria? c. 3th century

Curator: This is a Tetradrachm of Antiochos III the Great of Syria? It's part of the Harvard Art Museums collection and weighs just under 4 grams. Editor: It feels charged with an old power, doesn't it? I'm instantly drawn to the figure on the reverse, all sinew and tension, but I find the flan’s crude shape somewhat unsettling. Curator: That depiction is likely Apollo, a deity often associated with Antiochos. Coins like these were vital propaganda tools. Editor: Ah, of course! Pocket-sized pronouncements of power. The slightly battered surface only adds to its story, I think. Imagine the hands it passed through! Curator: Precisely. Each coin represented not just monetary value, but also the authority and reach of the Seleucid Empire. Editor: It's incredible how such a small object can contain so much history, almost like a tiny, potent spell. Curator: Indeed. It’s a palpable connection to a world both familiar and very distant. Editor: Makes you wonder what messages our own currency will convey to future generations.