CN: Tutorial: Coins at Treece museum
value = weight and metal of coin
poured metal into mold then struck to give both sides images
not always accurate
coin makers were paid by coin rather then hour = they wanted to work fast = more mistakes made
coins might have words to send out messages
lion on alexanders head = comparing, imbue himself with those traits
Ptolemy put Alexanders head on coins after Alexanders head
shows an elephant skull on his head
trying to show that the empire is stable
doesn't put his head on coins until 17 years into his reign
Indian elephants from Asia minor
tell its alexander since he's clean shaven = all kings before him had beards
bird = egal showing Athena on back
coins were to show what the person looked like = accurate depiction, wouldn't make themselves prettier
Antiochus = nickname was hooknose
didn't have numbers - they didn't have the numbers to differ
Bactria - conquered by alexander = modern day is Afghanistan
lots of coins with his face on it = probably king for a while = all info about him comes from coins
almost always a mythological scene on the reverse
King Menander Saviour = written on it
they didn't learn the language of where they conquer they make them speak Greek
Menander - sand script on the reverse - showing that Greek was first
King Mithridates: Romania nowadays
King Mithridates Good Father written on reverse
micro dosed himself with poison to become immune = survived his assassination