Coin of Stobi under Caracalla c. 3th century

Curator: This is a Coin of Stobi under Caracalla, currently held at the Harvard Art Museums, weighing just over 5.5 grams. It’s amazing to consider its journey through time. Editor: It looks so worn, the image almost completely faded. It feels like holding a whisper of history. What can you tell me about Stobi? Curator: Stobi, in modern North Macedonia, was a significant Roman municipality. This coin served not only as currency but as a symbol of Roman power and Caracalla's reign in that region. Editor: And Caracalla himself? He seems like a fascinating, though controversial, figure. This coin must have been a common visual representation of his authority. Curator: Exactly. Coins were a primary means of disseminating imperial imagery and ideology. The imagery on this coin would have been carefully chosen to project power and legitimacy. It's also a concrete link to Roman economic activity. Editor: I find it amazing to hold something so small that once held so much symbolic and economic weight. This coin whispers stories of trade, empire, and a distant emperor. Curator: Indeed, a potent object reflecting complex narratives of power.