Coin of Ptolemy III c. 246

Curator: This is a coin of Ptolemy III Euergetes, currently held in the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It looks incredibly weathered; you can barely make out the details, yet there’s still a distinct texture that speaks to the passage of time and power. Curator: The wear is significant, but one can still discern the eagle, a symbol deeply rooted in Ptolemaic iconography, representing power, victory, and divine authority. It echoes throughout their dynasty as a visual claim to legitimacy. Editor: Legitimacy built on what? Imperialism and exploitation? This coin, beyond its artistic merit, also symbolizes a complex, often brutal history of dominance and control. Curator: Precisely. It's a potent reminder that even seemingly small, everyday objects can carry immense historical and political weight, layered with symbolic meaning. Editor: Makes you wonder about the hands it passed through, and what stories those hands could tell about power, inequality, and resistance.