Dupondius of Titus for Julia Titi, Rome c. 80 - 81

Curator: Here we have a Dupondius of Titus for Julia Titi, a bronze coin from ancient Rome, now held in the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It looks worn, almost like a tiny, ancient sun-baked desert. I wonder what stories it could tell if it could speak. Curator: Indeed. On one side, we see the portrait of Julia Titi, daughter of Emperor Titus, an image meant to project power and legitimacy. It's fascinating how these coins served as a form of mass communication. Editor: It's strange, isn't it? How an object designed to facilitate trade also becomes this miniature monument, freezing a moment in dynastic ambition. The layers of meaning packed onto this small disc...it’s quite something. Curator: It is, a tangible link to a distant world. Editor: A world where even beauty was currency. I'm left pondering what she actually thought of all this, being immortalized on money.