Coin of Raphaneai under Caracalla c. 188 - 217

Curator: Let's discuss this intriguing artifact: A coin of Raphaneai, minted under the reign of Caracalla. The weight is around 7.73 grams. Editor: It feels heavy with history, literally and figuratively. The wear and tear speak to its journey through time, its materiality aged. Curator: Precisely. The imagery invokes a sense of local identity, referencing regional symbols. The figure has a dog. What does the image say about memory? Editor: I'm wondering about the labor that went into die-making. This was someone’s job. Was this a means of consolidating imperial power and spreading currency? Curator: It served as a potent symbol of power, a visual language understood across diverse cultures within the Roman Empire, a testament to the interplay between local and imperial narratives. Editor: Seeing it as a social object, a tangible piece of economic infrastructure really changes how I feel about it. Curator: Indeed, it's fascinating how material and symbol converge in this tiny object. Editor: An unexpectedly weighty little thing, when you think about it.