Denarius of Caracalla c. 210 - 213

Curator: We're looking at a silver denarius, a coin minted under the reign of Caracalla. Just a smidge over 3 grams. Editor: It looks fragile. Seeing these two faces of power peering out from across the ages makes me wonder... Who were they trying to impress? Curator: Well, this coin has two sides, as you can see. One side displays Caracalla in profile, radiating imperial confidence. The other depicts Libertas, goddess of liberty, holding a scepter and pileus. Editor: The scepter, of course, speaks to power, but the pileus, that felt cap, has a deeper resonance. In Roman iconography, it symbolizes freedom granted to slaves upon manumission. Curator: Precisely! So, Caracalla is cleverly linking himself with the concept of liberation, associating himself with a long-standing symbolic tradition. Editor: What a statement. It makes you think about how even something as small as a coin can carry centuries of complex history and propaganda. Curator: Absolutely. It really shows how carefully constructed every element is and how lasting these symbols can be.