Coin of Aphrodisias, Salonina 

Curator: I'm struck by the green patina—it evokes a sense of historical weight and mystery. Editor: Indeed. What we have here is a coin issued by Salonina of Aphrodisias. It's a small object, yet it resonates with the power dynamics of the Roman Empire. Curator: Observe how the composition directs our eye; the bust of Salonina in profile is strikingly rendered. The line work, despite the coin's small scale, is quite impressive. Editor: It's impossible to separate this aesthetic from the reality of imperial power. Salonina's image, reproduced and circulated, was a form of propaganda, asserting her status and the empire's dominance. Curator: I find the coin's material presence quite compelling. The wear and tear tell a story of circulation, of hands that held it, transactions made. Editor: And of the social structures that enabled those transactions—the exploitation, the inequalities. It's a powerful little object. Curator: A microcosm reflecting grand narratives. Editor: Precisely. It invites us to reflect on the continuities between then and now.