Coin of Alexander I Balas of Syria, Antioch c. 150

Curator: Here we have a coin, specifically, a Coin of Alexander I Balas of Syria, Antioch, housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. It weighs a mere 2.89 grams. Editor: It's so small, but it feels monumental! I'm drawn to the worn texture; it whispers stories of empires and hands long gone. Curator: Indeed, the coin's materiality speaks volumes. Consider the die-striking technique. The imagery—likely depicting Seleucid power—is purposefully rendered. Editor: I see that! The elephants! Three, maybe? They march across the surface. There's something melancholic about their ghostly procession, like a faded memory struggling to stay visible. Curator: Their arrangement and the careful articulation of form emphasize the Seleucid empire's ambitions and authority. The imagery is meant to reinforce power dynamics. Editor: But isn't there a vulnerability too? To see power so diminished, worn away by time... it reminds you that everything fades, even kingdoms. Curator: A potent observation. What begins as a statement of dominance devolves into a poignant relic about human aspiration. Editor: Seeing it now, I appreciate how much emotion can be locked into something so diminutive. Curator: Absolutely, it is a testament to the power of even the smallest object to carry profound significance.