Sestertius of Julia Domna 218

Curator: Here we have a sestertius. A bronze coin issued during the Roman Empire. This particular one features Julia Domna, wife of Emperor Septimius Severus. It's part of the Harvard Art Museums collection and weighs 27.7 grams. Editor: It’s like holding history, or maybe just the ghost of it. The coin’s worn face gives it a mysterious, almost melancholic quality. Curator: Precisely. These coins weren't just currency; they were propaganda. The image of Julia Domna would have conveyed ideas of power and stability throughout the empire. Editor: It makes you wonder about the hands it passed through, the stories it could tell. A tiny, bronze time capsule of a vanished world, murmuring secrets. Curator: Indeed. It's a tangible link to the past. Editor: So evocative.