As of Julia Maesa? 218 - 222

Curator: So this humble coin, weighing just 9.31 grams, is speculatively attributed to Julia Maesa. The artist is unknown, and the date remains a mystery. Editor: Immediately, I'm struck by how time has softened the details. It’s like holding a whisper of history, a tactile link to a person who navigated the treacherous world of Roman power. Curator: Yes, there's a beautiful irony there. She was the grandmother of emperors, pulling strings behind the scenes, and now she's on this little, worn coin, almost anonymous. Editor: Exactly, it reminds us how much of historical narrative centers the rulers, but this piece speaks to the agency of women in creating and sustaining those empires, a story often buried beneath layers of patriarchal interpretation. Curator: You’re right, seeing the evidence of time worn on this piece, imagining who might have held it—it shifts my perspective. Editor: For me, it is a stark reminder of the ever-present power dynamics shaping our interpretation of the past, the narratives that have been told, and, perhaps more importantly, those that have been deliberately obscured.