Denarius of Septimius Severus c. 206 - 210

Curator: At the Harvard Art Museums, we have a silver denarius of Septimius Severus, a Roman emperor who reigned from 193 to 211 AD. Editor: The coin’s worn surface speaks volumes; its pale gleam and the delicate relief of Severus’s profile give it an austere beauty. Curator: Each coin was a product of imperial workshops, tools of economic exchange but also powerful symbols of Roman authority, disseminating the emperor’s image and propagandistic messages. Editor: Observe how the engraver used subtle gradations to define Severus's features; the composition is so contained, yet speaks of vast power. Curator: The material itself, silver, was mined and processed through complex labor systems, reflecting the empire’s reach and the exploitation inherent in its economic structures. Editor: The wear reminds us of the many hands it passed through, the journeys it made. It’s a tangible link to the past, isn't it? Curator: Indeed, it makes tangible the material conditions that supported the Roman Empire. Editor: Considering its simple design, it's remarkable how much history is embedded within.