Antoninianus of Probus 277 - 282

Editor: We're looking at an Antoninianus of Probus from the Harvard Art Museums, a small coin worn smooth by time. It's hard to get a sense of it from this distance, but it feels like it holds so many stories. What strikes you when you see it? Curator: Oh, absolutely! For me, it's a little portal—a pocket-sized echo of Roman ambition and artistry. Can you imagine who held this, what they bought with it? It’s a tangible link to a world both familiar and impossibly distant. Editor: That makes me think—does the imagery say anything specific about Probus himself? Curator: I think so! These coins were propaganda as much as currency. Each symbol, each inscription, was carefully chosen to project an image of power, prosperity, and divine favor. It reminds us that even the smallest objects can carry monumental weight. Editor: It's amazing to think of all that history packed into something so tiny. Curator: Exactly! It shrinks history down to something you can hold in your palm, and in doing so, somehow expands your understanding of it.