Denarius of Clodius Albinus, Rome c. 194 - 195

Editor: This is a denarius, a silver coin, of Clodius Albinus, housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. I'm struck by the wear and tear; it feels like holding a little piece of history. What stories do you think this coin could tell? Curator: Oh, it whispers of power plays and fleeting reigns! Albinus, the chap whose face is struck on one side, was a Roman emperor for a hot minute in the late second century. He was quite the ambitious sort. Now, what do you make of the figure on the reverse? Editor: It looks like a goddess, maybe? She's holding something, a staff perhaps? Curator: Indeed! That's Minerva, the goddess of wisdom and warfare. Albinus was probably trying to link himself to her attributes. Think of it as ancient spin doctoring. It is amazing, isn't it, how much a tiny coin can reveal about a person's aspirations. Editor: I never thought of coins as little billboards. Thanks, I'll look at money differently now. Curator: Exactly! Every artifact, no matter how humble, holds a story—or better yet, asks a question.