Coin (AE4) of Constantine I, Siscia 334 - 335

Editor: This is a bronze coin of Constantine I, from Siscia. It's small, only about 1.7 grams. It seems worn, but you can still make out the profile. What stands out to you about this piece? Curator: Coins are never just currency. They are tools of propaganda, carefully designed to project power. What narratives did Constantine want to circulate about himself? Consider the image of the ruler, almost always male, that’s circulated and how this can intersect with gender studies and power dynamics. Editor: So, it's not just about the value of the coin, but the message it sends? Curator: Precisely. These coins are artifacts deeply embedded in political and social currents. We can ask, whose stories are being told, and whose are being omitted? Editor: That makes me look at it in a whole new light. I didn't think a coin could hold so much meaning! Curator: It’s about understanding the multilayered ways objects communicate ideology.