Coin of Caracalla c. 2th century

Curator: This is a coin of Caracalla, currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. It's so small, barely bigger than my thumbnail! Editor: Immediately, I'm struck by the weight this tiny object carries. A whole empire, distilled into a portrait. It’s the face of power, literally. Curator: Absolutely! Caracalla, infamous for his brutality, put his mug on currency. The flip side shows a figure, maybe a deity, promising prosperity, a symbol of the state's supposed benevolence. Editor: It's fascinating how these coins become little propaganda machines. Each image, each inscription carefully chosen to project a specific narrative and cement his legacy. Curator: Right? Like, imagine all the hands this has passed through. Each transaction, a mini-endorsement of the Emperor's rule. Editor: It makes you wonder what stories it could tell, this little piece of metal. All the political intrigue, the daily lives, the vastness of an era. Incredible.