Coin of Claudius II c. 3th century

Curator: Here we have a Roman coin, likely from the reign of Claudius II Gothicus. It's a small bronze piece, only a few grams in weight. What's your immediate feeling about it? Editor: Worn, definitely worn. It feels like holding a secret, something everyone's touched but no one truly sees anymore. What stories could this little bronze disc tell? Curator: Well, the imagery is standard Roman fare, but the emperor's portrait on one side is meant to convey power and authority, and it connects him to the divine. And that eagle on the reverse? That's about Roman military might. Editor: The eagle. It's a symbol that persists, isn't it? Even now, we see it representing nations, empires. It makes you wonder, what will our symbols look like in two thousand years? What will they mean? Curator: Precisely. Symbols outlive the empires. This coin is a reminder that power, in the end, is always temporary. Editor: Yes, even emperors end up as faces on a forgotten coin.