Coin (AE3) of Gratian, Thessalonike 367 - 383

Editor: This bronze coin, an AE3 of Gratian, feels like a tangible link to the past. The imagery is worn, but I can still make out figures. What do you see here? Curator: Coins are fascinating because they distill power and belief into portable symbols. Notice the emperor's profile—a classical allusion to strength and authority—paired with what seems to be a depiction of Victory, signifying military might. Editor: So, it's less about a portrait and more about the message it sends? Curator: Precisely! Consider how the coin’s design reinforces Gratian’s reign and the visual language intended to convey legitimacy to the Roman populace. Editor: That's a whole new perspective; I was only thinking of it as money. Curator: And now you see it as something more—a propaganda tool, a cultural artifact, a tiny window into a vanished world.