Coin (AE3) of Constantine I, Lugdunum c. 4th century

Curator: This intriguing piece is an AE3 coin of Constantine I, minted in Lugdunum. Editor: It looks like something you'd find glinting in the dirt! Both sides worn smooth by time... I wonder what stories it could tell? Curator: The coin's a humble testament to power—think of all the labor required to extract, smelt, and stamp countless copies! Editor: Indeed! And the weight of the bronze, the hands that held it… you know, each coin was once a promise, a transaction, a little story whispered in the marketplace. Curator: I find it deeply moving, imagining the emperor’s face, duplicated across the vastness of his empire. Editor: It's like a physical manifestation of power itself. A small, weighty symbol meant to last. Curator: It's amazing to reflect on the power it must have had. Editor: I'll never look at pocket change the same way again!