Antoninianus of Cornelia Salonina 260 - 268

Curator: This is an Antoninianus coin, depicting Cornelia Salonina, and currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It looks so worn, you can barely make out the details. What kind of metal is it? Curator: Antoninianus coins were typically made of silver alloy, but over time, debasement occurred, incorporating more base metals like bronze. This has implications for the Roman economy, as the value of money fluctuated wildly. Editor: I'm struck by the process of striking and circulation. Imagine the hands this passed through. How the materials were sourced, the labor involved in its creation. Curator: Absolutely. Coins were critical for imperial propaganda, circulating images of power and projecting stability, even when that was far from reality. Salonina, as empress, would have been a key figure in this visual strategy. Editor: But it's a small thing, a coin. Yet, it carries so much weight, literally and figuratively. Curator: Indeed, a potent symbol of Roman authority, reflecting both its aspirations and its eventual decline. Editor: It makes me think differently about the labor and material realities behind ancient symbols. Curator: And for me, it contextualizes Salonina’s reign within the broader socio-political landscape of the Roman Empire.