Coin of Mithradates VI, Amisos (Pontos) c. 2th century

Curator: Looking at this coin, I'm immediately struck by the labor involved in its creation. It's so small, yet the detail is remarkable. Editor: This is a coin of Mithradates VI, from Amisos in Pontos. The imagery is powerful. We see a shield with the face of Perseus. Curator: The means of production must have been fascinating. What kind of tools were used to achieve that level of detail on such a small surface? Editor: Absolutely. The Perseus image, though small, is potent. Perseus, the hero, a bringer of light and civilization, a slayer of monsters. His presence on a coin suggests power, protection, and perhaps even divine lineage. Curator: And of course, the material itself, the metal, would have been valuable. Consider the social implications of that value. Editor: Coins as material culture can offer a wealth of information on the beliefs of that time. Curator: It really makes you consider the hands that touched this, doesn't it? The worker, the merchant, the people in Mithradates' presence. Editor: Indeed, and what these symbols meant to each of them.