Coin of Corinth under Caracalla 198 - 217

Curator: Here we have a fascinating artifact: a Coin of Corinth, minted during the reign of Caracalla, now residing at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It looks incredibly worn, almost ghostly. The patina speaks of centuries buried. It's a somber object. Curator: Indeed. The coin's imagery would have been instantly recognizable. The profile of Caracalla himself on one side, and likely a depiction of a local deity or Corinthian landmark on the other. Editor: Coins like these are propaganda, aren't they? Mini billboards meant to project power and legitimacy. It's interesting to consider whose story gets told and whose is erased by these imperial markers. Curator: Precisely. The weight and materiality, the symbols, all work to transmit a specific cultural memory. Though much has been lost to time, the coin still resonates. Editor: It makes you wonder about the hands it passed through, the marketplaces where it was exchanged, the lives it touched—a tiny fragment of empire, speaking volumes. Curator: A tangible link to a complex past. Editor: It certainly gives me pause to think about how empire and power continue to shape our lives.