Coin of Hypaepa under Septimius Severus 193 - 211

Curator: Here we have a Coin of Hypaepa under Septimius Severus, held within the Harvard Art Museums. The coin weighs about 17.4 grams. Editor: There's something haunting about holding a little piece of history like this. The weight, the wear—it whispers stories, doesn't it? Curator: Absolutely, and given its creation, we can think about the politics embedded in its materiality and circulation, the literal value in the materials used to produce a coin intended for trade and imperial projection. Editor: Thinking about the hands it passed through! Septimius Severus staring out from one side, a little blurry now. What was life like then, for the people using this coin? Curator: Precisely, the coin is not merely a marker of exchange, it is a marker of imperial power, and its social life, use, and circulation is a statement on Roman control. Editor: In a way, it's more than just money, isn't it? It is a symbol of power. It is great to ponder the journey of this coin through history. Curator: I completely agree, its story is a story of economic and political power.