Sestertius of Antoninus Pius c. 140 - 143

Curator: What immediately strikes me is the worn texture, a palpable sense of history. Editor: Indeed. What we have here is a sestertius, a bronze coin of Antoninus Pius, who ruled the Roman Empire from 138 to 161 AD. The coin weighs just over 24 grams. Curator: The portrait of Antoninus Pius is rather stoic, almost severe, yet framed by that laurel wreath. It’s a visual declaration of power, but also of victory and peace. Editor: Absolutely. And on the reverse, we see a representation of Pax, the Roman goddess of peace, which speaks volumes about the emperor's public image and the aspirations of his reign. Curator: The coin's symbolism, Pax facing left with an olive branch, evokes harmony and prosperity, values the emperor wanted to project. These symbols carry so much cultural weight. Editor: It is interesting how such a small object becomes a vessel for political messaging, circulating amongst the population, shaping perceptions of the emperor. Curator: It's fascinating to see how symbols evolve, persist, and reshape how we understand the past. Editor: Precisely. This coin shows us how art was used to manage and manipulate public image, a tradition that continues to this day.