Coin of Constantius II c. 4th century

Curator: This is a coin of Constantius II, currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: Oh, it looks like time itself created it! That worn surface, those barely-there details... it feels ancient, doesn't it? Curator: Indeed. Coins like these weren't just currency; they were imperial propaganda, circulated widely to project power and legitimacy. The imagery and inscriptions were carefully chosen. Editor: So, it's like a tiny, portable billboard? I wonder what stories this little coin could tell if it could talk! Curator: Precisely! They speak volumes about the economy, the emperor's image, and the values of the Roman Empire. Editor: Thinking about all the hands it must have passed through... merchants, soldiers, maybe even emperors! Gives you chills, doesn't it? Curator: Absolutely, it underscores the coin's role as a conduit for social, political, and economic exchange. Editor: It's a small object, but it opens up such a vast landscape of the past. Curator: A tangible link to another era, now that is how to measure its value.