Coin of Cilbiani Inferiores (under Julia Domna c. 193 - 211

Editor: Here we have a coin of Cilbiani Inferiores, made under Julia Domna. It's quite small but feels very weighty. What significance do you think this piece holds? Curator: It speaks volumes about power, gender, and representation in the Roman Empire. Julia Domna, as wife of Septimius Severus, held significant influence. Whose image gets circulated, and why, always reveals dynamics of control. Editor: So the choice to depict her was deliberate? Curator: Absolutely. Consider the symbolic weight of a female ruler's image on currency, circulating throughout society. What messages were being sent about female authority and legitimacy? What does it tell us about the role of women in shaping the empire's visual narrative? Editor: That's a great perspective. It makes me see the coin in a totally new light. Curator: Indeed, it's a lens into the complex interplay between gender, power, and image-making in antiquity.