As of Corinth struck by L. Arrius Peregrinus and L. Furius Labeo as duoviri under Tiberius c. 32 - 33

Editor: This is a bronze coin, "As of Corinth struck by L. Arrius Peregrinus and L. Furius Labeo as duoviri under Tiberius." The worn surface and the images on it are striking! What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see an object deeply embedded in its social and economic context. The coin's material—bronze—speaks to the resources available, the skills of the laborers who mined and processed it, and the mechanisms of exchange within the Roman Empire. It challenges our notions of "high art," doesn’t it, by highlighting the everyday materiality of ancient life? Editor: That's fascinating. So, instead of focusing on aesthetic value, you're looking at its function as a product of labor and trade? Curator: Precisely. The coin’s production and circulation tell us about the economic systems and power structures of the time. It shifts the focus from artistic intention to the broader material conditions of its creation and use. Editor: I hadn't considered that. It really changes how I see it. Curator: Indeed. We can learn from the materiality of the past.