Tetradrachm of Demetrios I c. 162

Editor: This is a Tetradrachm of Demetrios I. Looking at this coin, I am struck by the contrast between the detailed portrait and the wear from use. What can you tell me about its creation and what its purpose might reveal? Curator: Consider the labor, the silver mines, the workshops where these were struck. This wasn't simply about depicting Demetrios. Each coin represented a transaction, a unit of exchange. How did this physical object influence the economic systems of the time? Editor: So, the coin is more than just art; it's really about labor and social function? Curator: Exactly. Its value wasn't just aesthetic, but material. Silver held inherent worth, and the coin facilitated trade and power. Reflect on what its existence reveals about material culture. Editor: Fascinating! I never considered the full extent of its social implications before. Curator: By examining its materiality, we see beyond the surface.