Antoninianus of Probus, Rome 282

Curator: Isn't it fascinating how objects meant to convey power and permanence can feel so incredibly fragile? This is an Antoninianus of Probus, a coin from Rome, currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It does feel surprisingly vulnerable. It's so small, almost worn smooth, like a worry stone. I wonder how many hands it passed through, and whose faces it saw in its time? Curator: That touch is precisely the point! It humanizes the distant emperor. These coins were designed not only as currency but as miniature propaganda pieces, constantly reminding the populace of their leader. Editor: Reminding, or perhaps even coercing? The state always uses the material conditions of everyday life to normalize its ideological rule. A coin in every pocket... a constant reminder of power. Curator: Power, yes, but also the tangible connection of a ruler to the everyday life of their citizens, a little piece of Rome they could carry. Editor: Perhaps it represents an archaic precursor to our current system of mass surveillance! Interesting to think of it that way. Curator: In any case, I think it really is something special to hold a little piece of history in your hand.