Coin (AE2) of Valentinian II, Constantinople 383 - 388

Editor: Here we have an AE2 coin of Valentinian II from Constantinople. It's weighty for its size, you can feel the history in it, but it's also so worn. What's your interpretation of this piece? Curator: Consider the material itself: bronze. It was abundant, relatively inexpensive, and easily cast. The coin, mass-produced, served to disseminate the Emperor's image and authority. How does its existence as an object of daily exchange shape our understanding of late Roman power? Editor: So, less about Valentinian and more about bronze and its role in the Empire? Curator: Precisely. This isn't just about high art or portraiture. It's about labor, industry, and the mechanisms of control embedded within everyday objects. Editor: I see! Looking at it as a manufactured good changes my perception. Curator: Indeed. It's a lens through which we can examine the materiality of power itself.