Coin of Cyrrhus Cyrrhestica under Antoninus Pius c. 138 - 161

Curator: This is an ancient coin, attributed to Antoninus Pius, specifically a "Coin of Cyrrhus Cyrrhestica". It currently resides in the Harvard Art Museums, and weighs a modest 10.2 grams. Editor: There's something haunting about it. It feels like holding time itself, all that history compressed into this small, weathered disc. Curator: Indeed. From a formal perspective, observe how the low relief and the patinated bronze surface contribute to the numismatic object's sense of depth and texture. Editor: The details of the imperial portrait are intriguing, but it's the corroded quality that really draws me in. It is almost as if the coin is whispering secrets. Curator: The wear undoubtedly obscures the finer iconographic details, the coin invites speculation about its circulation and the hands it passed through. Editor: To think this little coin may have been someone's daily bread, so to speak. It makes you wonder about its journey. Curator: Its materiality, form, and the context of its creation provide a fascinating glimpse into the structures of power and exchange in antiquity. Editor: Absolutely. It's more than just a coin; it's a story etched in metal, connecting us to a distant past.