coin of Licinius 313 - 314

Editor: Here we have a coin of Licinius, minted sometime in the 4th century, weighing just over 2 grams. It's amazing to consider how much labor went into something so small. What can you tell me about it? Curator: The coin's materiality is key. Bronze wasn't inherently valuable like gold or silver, making it accessible for mass production. Consider the social context: the mint workers, the bronze mines, the systems of control. Editor: So, the coin isn’t just about Licinius; it's about the economy and workforce of the time? Curator: Precisely. The coin's value lies not only in its face value but also in the material processes that brought it into existence. What processes do you think are involved? Editor: Wow, I never thought of it that way! Thanks for the insight. Curator: A pleasure. It's all about digging into the material realities.