Sestertius of Gordian III 

Curator: Here we have a sestertius of Gordian III, currently held in the Harvard Art Museums. Its worn surface speaks volumes. Editor: It feels so tactile, yet the images—especially that regal profile—are so clearly defined despite the patina. Curator: Indeed. The means of production—the striking of these coins—was central to Roman administration, a way of disseminating imagery and asserting power. Editor: I'm struck by the composition: the emperor's portrait on one side, a figure, possibly a god, on the other. Curator: Coinage illustrates the social hierarchies and the mechanisms of trade. Consider the labor invested in its creation and how the coin circulated. Editor: Seeing it in this state reminds me of the relentless passage of time, how empires rise and eventually crumble. Curator: Exactly! It's a window into a complex economic and political system. Editor: Definitely, a powerful little object.