Didrachm of Pausanias, Macedonia c. 395

Curator: This small silver coin, a didrachm of Pausanias, whispers stories of ancient Macedonia. It’s easy to overlook its significance given its diminutive size. Editor: It feels almost primal. That rough, uneven surface speaks volumes. It’s like holding time itself. I can almost feel the ancient hands that shaped it and the hands that used it. Curator: Indeed, think of the labor! We see the product of extraction, refinement, the die-striking process—an entire economy captured in this tiny, weighty object. Editor: And what about the imagery? The face, the animal… It is a connection to something so old, it transcends even the idea of currency. It becomes about power, symbolism, and the stories we tell ourselves. I’m moved by the fact that it’s made by Pausanias. The maker is known. Curator: And that, perhaps, is the most compelling element. That this object represents an entire network of resource, labor, and belief all stamped with the name of its maker. Editor: It is a raw, tangible link to a world where artistry and necessity were inseparable, and where even the smallest object carried immense meaning.