Tetradrachm of Alexander the Great, Amphipolis c. 336

Editor: Here we have a Tetradrachm of Alexander the Great from Amphipolis. Its materiality makes it feel so ancient, and also so...powerful. What strikes you about this coin? Curator: The coin presents a deliberate construction of power. Consider how Alexander, even posthumously, utilized iconography to solidify his image. Editor: So, the depiction isn't necessarily true to life? Curator: Precisely. It's about constructing a specific narrative of leadership and divinity. How does it make you feel to know that the image of Alexander was carefully engineered, like propaganda? Editor: It's a little unsettling. It makes me question the narratives we are told about historical figures. Curator: Exactly. It reveals how power operates through visual representation, even on something as small as a coin.