Coin of Antioch on the Orontes under Severus Alexander 222 - 235

Curator: Here we have a coin of Antioch on the Orontes under Severus Alexander, a piece residing at the Harvard Art Museums. Weighing about 17 grams, it’s small, yet carries so much. Editor: My first impression is the stark contrast. The coin's weathered surface against the clean, black backdrop really highlights the passage of time and the story it holds. Curator: Absolutely. Think about the production: the selection of metals, the labor of the mint workers, the distribution networks. Each step involved social and economic dynamics that shaped daily life under Roman rule. Editor: And it reminds us how power was visualized and disseminated. The image of Severus Alexander becomes a tool for projecting authority, but also a marker of identity for the people using this coin. What did it mean for different social classes to hold this image of power? Curator: It’s the materiality of the coin itself – the wear and tear, the chemical changes over centuries – that speaks to its journey. It’s not just an image, but a physical object shaped by history. Editor: Exactly. It’s a poignant reminder of how objects bear witness to social and political currents, constantly interacting with identity, gender, race, and politics. Curator: I find it fascinating to consider all the hands this coin passed through and the stories it could tell about the processes of exchange. Editor: It certainly leaves you thinking about how such a small object can unlock such vast narratives.