Sestertius of Gordian III 241 - 244

Curator: This is a sestertius of Gordian III, currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. It weighs roughly 18 grams. Editor: It has a ghostly feel, like a memory surfacing from a murky pond. The patina is beautiful, all those shades of verdigris. Curator: Gordian III was a Roman Emperor during the 3rd century. Coins like these were more than just currency, they were powerful propaganda tools. Editor: You can see the portrait, even with the wear, and on the other side, a figure stands, maybe a goddess or personification of an idea. It's like holding a tiny piece of history. Curator: Precisely. These coins circulated throughout the empire, disseminating the emperor's image and promoting imperial ideology. Editor: Knowing it was held, traded, and carried – it makes you wonder what stories it could tell. I feel an odd connection to the past right now. Curator: A tangible link to a distant world, reminding us of the socio-political structures of the Roman Empire. Editor: I like that connection, it allows me to feel what it might have been like.