AE Maximianus I 

Editor: This is a coin depicting AE Maximianus I. It's amazing to think about how many hands this object must have passed through. What insights can you offer about this work? Curator: Consider the materiality. Bronze, a common metal, was transformed through labor and technology into currency, a crucial tool of social and economic exchange. How did this coin facilitate trade and power? Editor: So, its value isn't just in the image, but in its function within the Roman economy? Curator: Exactly. Its creation and circulation reveal much about Roman society, labor practices, and the emperor's control over resources. What does that tell us about the role of art and craft in power structures? Editor: I see it now. It's not just an image of an emperor, but evidence of material culture shaping everyday life. Curator: Precisely. We can appreciate the intersection of artistry, labor, and political power embedded in this coin.