Denarius of L. Calpurnius L.f. L.n. Piso Frugi, Rome c. 90 BCE

Editor: Here we have a Denarius, essentially an ancient Roman coin, by L. Calpurnius Piso Frugi. What I find striking is the way the metal seems to wear the weight of history. What do you see in this piece? Curator: It whispers tales of power, doesn't it? I’m drawn to the artistry squeezed onto such a small surface. The figure on horseback, that controlled energy… it’s like a tiny, metallic epic poem. Do you feel the tension between the ideal and the everyday in this little object? Editor: Absolutely. It’s both a symbol of power and a common object. It's amazing to think about where this coin might have traveled. Curator: Precisely! A tangible link to a world both familiar and impossibly distant. Now I'm imagining the hands that held it! Editor: It definitely puts history into a whole new perspective. Curator: Indeed! A pocket-sized portal to the past.