Coin of Sebastopolis-Heracleopolis under Julia Domna c. 2th - 3th century

Curator: This Roman Provincial coin, minted in Sebastopolis-Heracleopolis, features Julia Domna, wife of Emperor Septimius Severus. It's like holding a tiny, tarnished mirror to a distant empire. Editor: What strikes me most is the weight of time etched on its surface. It feels almost melancholic—a fragment of history worn smooth by centuries of hands and soil. Curator: Indeed. Coins like these weren't just currency; they were miniature propaganda tools. Julia Domna's image on one side, likely a temple on the reverse, speaks volumes about imperial power and civic pride. Editor: The temple itself is a fascinating symbol. It suggests a connection to the divine, reinforcing the legitimacy and strength of Roman rule in the province. Temples, gods and goddesses, emperors and empresses, it's all a very old story. Curator: It's incredible to think about how this small object once circulated, witnessing the daily lives and transactions of people living millennia ago. It makes you wonder who held it last, and what they thought about. Editor: A pocket-sized time capsule, a tangible link to a world both familiar and irrevocably lost. It certainly makes you ponder our own legacies, doesn't it?