Antoninianus of Cornelia Salonina, Mediolanum 259 - 268

Curator: This is an Antoninianus of Cornelia Salonina, minted in Mediolanum, currently held in the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: Immediately, the texture grabs me. It feels so worn, aged, carrying the weight of history. Curator: Indeed, the surface has patinated beautifully. The obverse features a bust of Salonina, her diadem emphasizing her status. Editor: That's powerful, to see a woman represented on currency. What does it tell us about her influence in that period? Curator: It's symbolic of her position as Empress, wife of Gallienus, a statement of imperial power projected through her image. Editor: I see a figure on the reverse too. Is that Vesta? Curator: Good eye. Yes, it's likely Vesta, a symbol of domestic stability, cleverly associating the Empress with traditional Roman values. Editor: This coin serves as a potent reminder of the layers of meaning embedded within even the smallest objects. Curator: Precisely. It's a microcosm reflecting broader socio-political currents.