Coin of Cotiaeum under Severus Alexander c. 222 - 235

Editor: Here we have a coin from Cotiaeum, dating back to the reign of Severus Alexander. It’s so small, and yet it carries this immense weight of history. What stories do you think it whispers to us? Curator: Ah, whispers indeed! I see a world compressed into a tiny disc. The emperor’s profile, a fierce crab on the other side – symbols of power, trade, and celestial influence all colliding. It's a tangible connection to a life lived millennia ago, don't you think? What do you feel when you see it? Editor: I suppose it makes me feel connected to them, and to understand what was important to them. What a cool piece. Curator: Exactly. Art isn't just about beauty or skill, is it? It is a time machine, a memory palace, a tiny seed from which entire civilizations can bloom again in our minds.