Dupondius of Antoninus Pius c. 2th century

Curator: This is a dupondius of Antoninus Pius, currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It looks so small! Yet somehow grand, you know? Like a little window into a big empire. Curator: Indeed. These coins functioned as a form of mass communication. The portrait on one side and the personification of Securitas, or security, on the other, were powerful tools. Editor: Security. Interesting they chose that, as if needing to reassure the people. I wonder how many hands this little disc passed through. Curator: It's amazing to consider, isn't it? This coin, a humble object, once represented an empire's power. Editor: Funny how something so small can carry so much meaning. It makes you think about what objects today will tell our story.