Coin of Antiokeia ad Hippium under Antoninus Pius c. 2th century

Curator: The "Coin of Antiokeia ad Hippium under Antoninus Pius," now residing in the Harvard Art Museums, strikes me as immediately weathered, almost melancholic, yet retaining a stark geometric purity of form. Editor: Indeed. These coins served as powerful tools of communication and economic exchange within the Roman Empire. Their production, controlled by imperial authority, tells us much about the flow of resources and the administration of power. Curator: Note the fine, though worn, details of the emperor's profile and the reverse design. It's fascinating how such a small object could carry so much symbolic weight. Editor: Precisely, and consider the labor involved, from mining the metal to striking each individual coin. These material processes reflect the empire's extensive infrastructure and reliance on both skilled artisans and coerced labor. Curator: Seeing it, one ponders its journey through history, passing through countless hands. Editor: Yes, each coin a miniature artifact, embodying stories of trade, taxation, and imperial control.