Follis of Constantine I, Siscia 320

Curator: Here we have a Follis of Constantine I, struck in Siscia. It’s now part of the Harvard Art Museums collection. Editor: Time really makes its mark, doesn't it? It looks like it's been fished out of a swamp. But there's a raw beauty to that kind of decay. Curator: Yes, the wear and corrosion definitely speak to its age and history. It was, after all, designed to circulate widely. Editor: Makes you wonder about all the hands it passed through. What did this coin mean to people then? More than just currency, right? A little piece of the Emperor's power in your pocket. Curator: Absolutely. The iconography, even worn as it is, would have reinforced Constantine's authority, connecting him to prosperity and stability. Editor: It’s strange to think of something so small carrying so much symbolic weight. But that's often the case. Something tiny, almost insignificant, can become a potent symbol across time. Curator: I think that's why objects like this continue to fascinate us—the way they bridge personal experiences with the grand sweep of history. Editor: Exactly! A tangible link to the past. Makes you consider how the objects we use today will tell our stories, however tarnished, centuries from now.