Antoninianus of Gallienus c. 3th century

Editor: This is an Antoninianus, a coin created by Gallienus. It has a certain rough, textural quality, almost geological. What compositional elements stand out to you? Curator: The coin’s circular form is primary. Note the disruptive imperfections along its edges, and the patina, which complicates our reading of the surface. The incised portrait, though degraded, offers a compelling study in bas-relief. Editor: So, it's the shape and the texture that are most important? Curator: Precisely. How the artist manipulated the material to create form, and how time has altered that form. Editor: It's fascinating how much history is embedded in something so small. I see so much more now. Curator: Indeed, the surface reveals more than one might initially assume.