coin of Trajan Decius 

Curator: This is a coin of Trajan Decius, currently held in the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It appears quite worn; the relief, though shallow, maintains a certain dignity. Curator: Coins like this one circulated during a tumultuous period, reflecting the emperor's attempt to legitimize his rule amidst crises. Its weight is recorded at 4.12 grams. Editor: Observe the precise profile of the emperor juxtaposed with the symbolic figure on the reverse, a potent visual rhetoric. Curator: Indeed, Roman coinage served as a powerful medium of propaganda and self-representation. One wonders what messages it conveyed about power, identity, and stability to its contemporary audience. Editor: Ultimately, its beauty lies in its stark simplicity. Curator: Absolutely, and in what it tells us about the emperor’s image.