Antoninianus of Gallienus c. 3th century

Curator: This object is an Antoninianus of Gallienus, currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It’s strikingly worn. You can still make out details, but it feels like it’s been passed from hand to hand for centuries. Curator: It’s a tangible link to the reign of Gallienus, a period of crisis in the Roman Empire. These coins were often debased, reflecting the economic instability of the time. Editor: The materiality speaks volumes. The base metal shows the pressures of production and the degradation of value. It’s not just about the image; it’s about the material reality of power. Curator: Absolutely. The imagery itself, though degraded, would have conveyed messages of imperial authority and divine favor, critical for maintaining legitimacy. Editor: It really brings home the precarity of power. A little lump of base metal meant to embody and circulate that power, now just...this. Curator: Indeed. It’s a humbling reminder of the transient nature of empires. Editor: Seeing the wear and tear reminds you how long this coin would have been in use, and the hands it must have passed through.