Coin of Perge under Gallienus c. 3th century

Editor: This coin of Perge under Gallienus, a copper alloy, looks so worn. I wonder about all the hands it passed through. What can you tell me about it? Curator: Its materiality speaks volumes about its cultural function. The copper alloy composition reveals trade networks. The striking process, a form of mass production in its time, facilitated economic exchange and social control. Editor: Social control? Curator: Yes, through portraiture and symbols, the coin broadcasts the power and ideology of the Roman Empire, a tool of governance circulated within daily commerce. It's about labor, value, and power. Editor: So, its purpose was more than just monetary? Fascinating.