As of Severus Alexander 

Curator: This coin, attributed to Severus Alexander, gives us a glimpse into imperial representation. Editor: It looks worn, almost ghostly, yet the portrait seems to retain a kind of stoic dignity. Curator: Precisely. Coins, like this one, functioned as potent symbols of Roman authority and imperial identity. The image, repeated in commerce, reinforced that power. Editor: And who this man was: a young emperor who attempted reform but ultimately fell victim to the violence of his time. The coin now a poignant emblem of fragility, even of power. Curator: Absolutely, a tangible echo of both personal and cultural memory, compressed into a small, weighty object. Editor: A reminder that even empires, cast in bronze, eventually corrode and fade.