Coin of Adana c. 175

Curator: This small coin, originating from Adana, was created under the reign of Antiochos IV Epiphanes. Its materiality and imagery offer insight into the socio-political dynamics of the time. Editor: It's… surprisingly moving for something so small and worn. There's a kind of silent, weighty story etched into it. Curator: Absolutely. The coin likely circulated widely, a form of propaganda embedding the ruler's image and authority into everyday life. Consider its role in trade, taxation, and the symbolic construction of power. Editor: I'm just struck by the intimacy of something once held, spent, touched. It feels like holding a whisper from the past. Curator: Precisely, and by studying such artifacts, we can unravel broader narratives concerning Hellenistic power structures and their impact on the region. Editor: It makes me wonder about the hands it passed through, the conversations it enabled, the lives it touched. So much history in such a tiny space. Curator: Indeed, the coin provides a crucial lens through which to examine intersectional narratives of identity, power, and exchange in the ancient world. Editor: It is a beautiful reminder that history isn't just dates and names—it's a collage of human moments, compressed into things like this little coin.