Coin of Resaina under Elagabalus c. 3th century

Curator: This is a coin of Resaina under Elagabalus, a small bronze object now residing at the Harvard Art Museums. Its weight is a mere 3.79 grams. Editor: Even in this state of wear, you can see the clarity of the profile. The turn of the head, the details of the... what is that, the laurel crown? It’s striking, even across the centuries. Curator: Coins like this served not just as currency but as miniature billboards, spreading the emperor’s image and associated symbols. Elagabalus, quite the controversial figure, used imagery to assert his power and divine connection. Editor: I'm struck by the texture. You can almost feel the cool, worn metal, the way the light catches the raised surfaces. It gives such a tangible sense of history. Curator: And it is a history fraught with complexities. The coin becomes a lens through which we can view the cultural memory of a tumultuous reign. What stories it could tell! Editor: Indeed. It reminds us that even the smallest object can hold immense aesthetic and historical weight.