Drachm of Ariobarzanes I 96 BCE-63 BCE

Editor: Here we have a Drachm of Ariobarzanes I. It’s fascinating to see a face and figure pressed onto such a small coin. What do you make of the materiality of this piece? Curator: The production of this coin involved a complex social and economic structure. Who controlled the mines? Who oversaw the mint? How did the labor of extracting and shaping the metal reflect power dynamics? Editor: That’s a perspective I hadn’t considered. I was only thinking about the aesthetic, not the labor behind it! Curator: Precisely. The coin represents not only a ruler but also the labor and resources mobilized to create and distribute this form of currency. Thinking about the materiality shifts our understanding. Editor: It’s amazing to consider the coin not just as art, but as a product of complex social forces. I’ll never look at currency the same way again. Curator: That's the goal. Recognizing the relationship between the material world and art is essential.