Antoninianus of Otacilia Severa 

Editor: So, this is an Antoninianus of Otacilia Severa, a Roman coin at the Harvard Art Museums. It's incredibly small, only 5 grams! I'm struck by the detail they managed to capture on such a tiny surface. What’s your take on it? Curator: Ah, a portal to another time, wouldn't you agree? It's not just a coin, it’s a miniature sculpture, a propaganda piece, a window into the soul of an Empress. What do you think she's trying to tell us with her portrait? Editor: That's a good question. It seems regal, formal… almost distant. Curator: Indeed! Almost like a carefully crafted mask. And that figure on the reverse? Justice, perhaps? Or maybe Abundantia, goddess of plenty, promising prosperity with a flick of the wrist! It’s like a dream, whispering stories of power and promise across the centuries. Editor: I hadn't thought of it that way, it’s amazing how much can be conveyed in such a tiny object. Curator: Exactly! It makes you wonder about all the hands it passed through, doesn’t it?