AR Trajan Decius 

Editor: Here we have the AR Trajan Decius coin at the Harvard Art Museums. Seeing both sides, so worn and weathered, makes me wonder about its journey through time. What stories do you think this little coin holds? Curator: It whispers of power, doesn't it? Look at the portrait of Trajan Decius, how even in this diminutive form, it aimed to project authority. The symbols, though faded, echo ideologies meant to resonate across the empire. What feelings does it evoke in you? Editor: A sort of detached grandeur, I suppose. This was a symbol, but now feels like a fragment. I guess I find it hard to imagine the impact it would have had. Curator: Precisely. It’s a powerful reminder of how symbols shift meaning over time. Its original intention contrasts sharply with our contemporary view of it as an artifact. Editor: So, it's not just about what it meant then, but also about what it means to us now, after so much time has passed. I never thought of it that way. Curator: Indeed. The image acts as a mirror, reflecting not only the past, but also our present understanding of it.