Denarius of Septimius Severus c. 201 - 206

Curator: This is a denarius of Septimius Severus, currently residing here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It has a certain... weighty stillness, doesn’t it? Like holding a whole empire in your palm, even though it’s so small. Curator: Indeed. The obverse bears a portrait of Severus, meticulously detailed, framed by a laurel wreath. The reverse depicts a symbolic representation of his reign. Editor: It’s incredible how much detail they packed onto something so tiny. The wear and tear, though – that's the part I love. It tells a story of hands, pockets, of exchange and power shifting over centuries. Curator: Precisely, the intrinsic value of this artifact lies not only in its material composition, but also in its capacity to signify the socio-political landscape of its time. Editor: All those emperors and empires that rose and fell... it’s humbling, like a whisper from the past reminding us we’re just passing through. Curator: A fitting sentiment, given the denarius was a tool of imperial power. Editor: Makes you wonder what stories it could tell, if only it could talk. Curator: Ultimately, this denarius encapsulates complex historical narratives and artistic expression within a compact form. Editor: Exactly. It's history you can hold.