Follis of Constantine I, Trier 323

Curator: Let’s examine this artifact: a bronze follis of Constantine I, minted in Trier. It weighs just under 4 grams. Editor: It feels ancient and weighted with untold stories, doesn't it? Like holding a tiny, tarnished sun. Curator: Precisely. The coin features a portrait of Constantine, and on the reverse, we see the gateway to a military camp. Editor: That gate is so rigid, a symbol of Roman power, I imagine. Yet time has softened it, almost blurring the lines. Curator: Indeed. This coin served as propaganda, broadcasting the Emperor's image and authority throughout the Empire. Editor: And now, it whispers to us of the past. It makes you wonder about the hands it passed through, doesn't it? Curator: Exactly, from an emperor’s reach to ours, these objects are still in communion with the past, if we listen. Editor: It’s an amazing artifact that takes my breath away every time I look at it.