Coin of Aigeai under Severus Alexander c. 222 - 235

Curator: Here we have a fascinating coin from Aigeai under Severus Alexander, part of the Harvard Art Museums collection. Editor: It's so worn! The patina lends it a real sense of time and history. I’m immediately struck by its palpable texture. Curator: Indeed. Its materiality speaks volumes. Look at the incised profile of Alexander on the obverse, facing right; it suggests a great emphasis on the ruler's image. And the reverse shows asklepios. Editor: Seeing Asklepios on the reverse gives insight into the socio-political values of the time. There was likely a great interest in health and well-being as an ideological concept for society. Curator: Absolutely. The composition and the lines, even in their worn state, still communicate power, don't you agree? Editor: It’s humbling to reflect on what was once currency, now a portal into a distant world. Curator: Precisely, a world whose values and anxieties are now part of the coin’s aesthetic framework.