Denarius of Maximinus 235 - 238

Editor: Here we have a Denarius of Maximinus. It’s small, silver, and shows both the emperor and what looks like a goddess. What strikes me is how worn it is. What can you tell me about it? Curator: The wear on this coin speaks volumes. Think of the hands it passed through, the transactions it facilitated. The material itself, silver, was mined, smelted, and stamped – each stage involving labor and resources extracted from the empire. Editor: So, it's not just about the image of the emperor? Curator: Not at all. The image is propaganda, but the coin's real story lies in its materiality and circulation. What does its journey tell us about the Roman economy and its global reach? Editor: That’s a fascinating way to think about something so small. Curator: Exactly. It challenges our traditional focus on the ‘art’ and redirects us to the processes of production, trade, and ultimately, consumption that defined Roman society.