As of Celsa (Colonia Lepida) 48 - 36 BCE

Curator: Here we have an As of Celsa (Colonia Lepida), a coin currently held in the Harvard Art Museums, crafted by Mn. Aemilius Lepidus. Editor: It has such a weathered, almost ghostly presence. The patinated green and brown create an otherworldly effect, don't you think? Curator: Absolutely. The coin is rife with symbolic weight. Consider the bull depicted – a potent symbol of strength, fertility, and even divine power in Roman culture. Editor: And the inscription! Though worn, the remaining letters still offer a glimpse into the coin's original visual texture. It grounds the symbol in a specific time and place. Curator: Precisely. Coins like this served not only as currency but also as powerful vehicles for propaganda, projecting imperial authority and cultural values across the vast Roman world. Editor: Thinking about the individual hands that must have held this object is incredibly impactful. Curator: Indeed. It's a tangible link to a distant past, rich with layers of cultural meaning and lived experience.