As of Faustina II 145 - 146

Editor: Here we have a coin, "As of Faustina II," by Faustina II. It's quite corroded, but you can still see the figure. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see more than just a portrait. Look at the labor involved in minting this coin. What does the metal composition tell us about Roman resources, trade routes, and the very mechanisms of power sustaining the empire? Editor: So, you're focusing on what the coin *represents* in terms of the empire's resources. Curator: Exactly. The coin's worth transcends its face value; it embodies the empire's productive capabilities and reach. Editor: That's a really interesting way to look at it. It shifts the focus from just the image to the whole system. Curator: Indeed. Materiality speaks volumes, revealing the intricate web of production, distribution, and consumption.