Denarius of Faustina I c. 2th century

Curator: Here we have a Denarius of Faustina I, part of the Harvard Art Museums collection. Editor: It's remarkable how something so small can feel so weighty, so laden with significance. Curator: Indeed. Consider the process involved in minting these coins, the labor, the specific alloy ratios of the silver. And, of course, their use as a crucial tool of trade and power. Editor: Absolutely. And the deliberate use of Faustina's image on the coin. It’s a powerful act of representation, centralizing her identity, and broadcasting her image throughout the Roman Empire. Curator: Precisely. A fascinating example of how material culture intersects with imperial power. Editor: It makes you wonder about the lives this coin touched, the transactions it facilitated, and the stories it could tell about gender and representation. Curator: There are countless angles through which one could appreciate this work. Editor: I'll certainly never look at pocket change the same way again.