coin of Diocletian 

Curator: This is a coin of Diocletian, currently held in the Harvard Art Museums, weighing just 3.54 grams. The artist, of course, is Diocletian himself. Editor: Immediately, I notice the surface texture, heavily patinated and worn. The circular form, though, remains quite distinct. Curator: It speaks volumes about Roman society, doesn't it? Consider the labor involved in minting, the distribution networks, the very concept of imperial currency. Editor: Absolutely. Formally, the low relief compels the viewer to closely examine and imagine the original sharpness and symbolic import. Curator: These coins facilitated trade, paid soldiers, and broadcast the emperor's image far and wide. The material reality shaped the empire itself. Editor: Ultimately, this coin offers a powerful lens for understanding the relationship between symbolic representation and the aesthetics of power. Curator: Precisely. A small object that encapsulates so much of a complex historical period. Editor: Indeed, a microcosm of an empire.