Coin of Agathokles, Tyrant of Syracuse c. 317

Curator: Today we're looking at a coin of Agathokles, Tyrant of Syracuse, currently held in the Harvard Art Museums. It weighs about 6.25 grams. Editor: It looks like something you'd find buried in your backyard, all green and brown. Very humble for something made for a tyrant. Curator: Yes, the patination certainly obscures the original design. We can still discern symbolic imagery, though, reflecting Agathokles' authority and the iconography of Syracuse. Editor: I guess I'm just drawn to the texture, the way the metal has aged. It feels like holding history. Like it has secrets whispered into it over centuries. Curator: Indeed. The object's inherent materiality is compelling, speaking to processes of entropy and transformation. Editor: Exactly. It’s a small, powerful object that connects us to a distant past. Something solid you can touch and it speaks volumes. Curator: A potent reminder of the passage of time. Editor: Agreed. It’s a fascinating, tangible connection to antiquity.