Coin of Philip V of Macedonia c. 186

Curator: Let's turn our attention to this fascinating object from the Harvard Art Museums, a coin of Philip V of Macedonia. Editor: It's incredibly worn, isn't it? You can still make out some features, but its age really shows in the texture of the metal. Curator: Precisely. Coins like these were not just currency, but also powerful tools of propaganda. Distributing them widely asserted Philip's authority and disseminated his image. Editor: And the process of minting – the labor involved in extracting the metal, creating the dies, striking the coins – all speaks to the resources and power concentrated in the Macedonian kingdom. Curator: It's a potent reminder that even the smallest artifacts can offer insights into the political and economic structures of their time. Editor: Definitely. Holding it, you feel connected to all that material transformation, all that human effort, and ultimately, a bygone era.