Tetradrachm of Alexander III the Great, Side c. 325

Editor: Here we have a Tetradrachm of Alexander III the Great. It’s a weighty little thing, silver of course. I can’t help but think about how many hands it must have passed through! What do you make of it? Curator: It's more than just metal, isn't it? It's a whisper from antiquity. Imagine those hands, yes, but also the stories it could tell, the ambitions it fueled. The profile… so idealized, almost godlike. Notice Zeus on the reverse, how he's depicted… regal, commanding. Editor: Definitely! It's like a tiny propaganda machine! Anything else jump out at you? Curator: Just the sheer audacity. To stamp your own image onto currency, to equate yourself with the divine… it speaks volumes about power, doesn't it? I wonder, did people really buy into it? Editor: Makes you wonder about modern coins, too. It’s a slice of history!