Denarius of C. Gargonius, M. Vergilius, and Ogulnius, Rome c. 86 BCE

Curator: Here we have a Roman Denarius, issued by C. Gargonius, M. Vergilius, and Ogulnius. It is currently located in the Harvard Art Museums collection. Editor: The immediate impression is one of power, rendered in miniature. The composition, though worn, still conveys a sense of dynamic movement, particularly with the quadriga. Curator: Indeed. The coin offers two distinct sides for analysis: one a classical profile, possibly a deity, wreathed in laurel. The other, a quadriga—a four-horse chariot—driven by a figure, likely symbolic of Roman strength and governance. Editor: It's fascinating to consider the implicit messages these images conveyed. Who was this currency intended to empower, and whose labor was exploited to manifest that economic power? Curator: Precisely, and the choices in representation—the idealized profile, the dynamic chariot scene—speak volumes about the desired projection of authority through controlled aesthetic choices. Editor: Absolutely, the artistry used to project a message of dominance and control—food for thought. Curator: Indeed, the coin presents us with a microcosm of Roman power.