Denarius of Faustina I 147 - 161

Curator: Isn't it intriguing, this small window into a life long past? We're looking at a Denarius of Faustina I, housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It feels…weighty. Even knowing it's only a few grams, the wear and tear speaks of countless transactions, a realness absent from pristine artifacts. Curator: Exactly! Imagine the hands it passed through, the stories it could tell. And to think, this was a woman who, despite being empress, was largely defined by her husband's narrative. Editor: Though, minted in droves, these coins performed a very concrete function: maintaining economic and social cohesion. Each coin, a tiny piece of imperial power. Curator: Power, yes, but also memory. That stoic profile, a frozen moment intended to last centuries. What does it mean to be rendered in metal, circulated as currency? Editor: It means the empire literally bought into her image, commodifying her likeness. We look at it now as art, but its primary role was a facilitator of trade. Curator: Fascinating. This little coin holds so much more than just its monetary value. Editor: Right, it reflects the material conditions of ancient life and the emperor's need to sustain empire.