Denarius of Septimius Severus struck for Julia Domna c. 198 - 209

Editor: Here we have a Denarius of Septimius Severus struck for Julia Domna. It's a small coin, obviously, but I'm struck by how much character they managed to fit onto such a tiny surface. What do you see when you look at this? Curator: Well, I see power, cleverly packaged. This isn't just metal; it's propaganda, a mini-manifesto! Look at Julia Domna's profile, then that goddess on the reverse. It’s like they’re saying, "We’re not just rulers, we’re divinely appointed rulers!" Pretty crafty, right? I wonder, did she have any say in how she was portrayed? Editor: Crafty indeed! It really makes you think about the image that they wanted to project and how carefully crafted that was. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure! It’s amazing what stories these little coins can tell, isn’t it?