Tetradrachm of Aesillas as Quaestor in Macedonia, Thessalonike 90 BCE - 70 BCE

Editor: This is a silver Tetradrachm issued by Aesillas in Macedonia. It's fascinating how this small coin was a product of a specific political and economic system. What can you tell us about it? Curator: Indeed. These coins represent not just currency, but a mode of production and a tool for social control. Consider the material itself, silver; where did it come from, and who mined it? Editor: So the value isn't just monetary, but tied to the labor and resources that went into making it? Curator: Precisely. The imagery, too, is a form of propaganda, shaping perceptions of power and authority. The means of its production and distribution reflect the values of the society. Does that give you a new perspective on it? Editor: It really does, thanks! I hadn't thought about the mining of the silver itself.