Antoninianus of Gordian III 243 - 244

Editor: Here we have an Antoninianus coin of Gordian III from the Harvard Art Museums. It's weathered, but you can still see a portrait and what appears to be some kind of figure. What strikes you about this piece? Curator: Well, consider the power dynamics at play. A young emperor, barely a teenager, uses his image on currency. What does it say about a society when even something as small as a coin is laden with political messaging and the imperative of imperial identity? Editor: It's propaganda, literally in everyone's pocket. I hadn't thought about it that way. Curator: Exactly! And how does this relate to contemporary forms of propaganda and image control we see today? Food for thought. Editor: Definitely. I see how connecting the dots between then and now makes the art more relevant.