Coin of Alexandreia under Valerian II c. 3th century

Curator: Here we have a coin from Alexandreia under Valerian II. The weight is about 5.15 grams. What's your initial reaction? Editor: It feels incredibly tactile, doesn’t it? Like holding a miniature world, weathered and worn smooth by time and countless hands. Curator: Precisely. The coin offers insight into the economic and political structures of the Roman Empire. Coinage was a powerful tool for disseminating imperial propaganda. Editor: Absolutely. And think about the labor involved – the mining of the metal, the striking of the die, the distribution. Each coin represents a whole network of material processes. Curator: Indeed. It highlights the power of imagery, and the emperor's use of symbolism to project authority. This coin tells a story, not just of commerce, but of power. Editor: Agreed, seeing its worn surface, imagining its journey, it’s a powerful connection to the past. Curator: It certainly is.