Antoninianus of Valerian I 255 - 256

Curator: Here we see the Antoninianus of Valerian I, housed right here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: My first thought? How weighty it must have felt, not just in the hand, but as a symbol. It carries so much history on its small surface. Curator: Absolutely. Roman coins were designed to carry potent messages. This one, bearing Valerian's image, speaks volumes about imperial power and legitimacy. Editor: And look at the reverse! Are those figures meant to be personifications of something? Abstract ideas made human? Curator: Precisely. The depiction of deities or virtues reinforced the emperor's connection to the divine and the stability of the empire. Think of it as ancient PR! Editor: So, a tiny object, but a huge statement. It's amazing how these things persist, whispering stories across the millennia. Curator: Indeed. Studying such artifacts lets us trace the evolution of symbols and their enduring impact on our cultural memory.