Denarius of Q. Minucius Rufus, Rome c. 122

Editor: Here we have a Roman Denarius, likely from around the 2nd century BC, created by the moneyer Q. Minucius Rufus. It's a small, silver coin. What strikes me is how this everyday object was carefully produced, both a symbol and a tool. What's your take? Curator: I see a complex layering of meaning embedded in the coin's production. Silver itself, extracted and processed, speaks to Roman power and resource control. The imagery, hammered into the metal, broadcasts a specific message of authority and military might tied to Rome's identity. Consider the labor involved in creating each one and the distribution network that put it into circulation. What kind of social relations did this coin enable? Editor: That's a perspective I hadn't considered before. It's fascinating to think about how the coin's materiality intersects with its function. Curator: Exactly! It forces us to question the supposed divide between art and craft, between high ideals and the practicalities of everyday Roman life.