Radiate Fraction of Maximian, Cyzicus 295 - 299

Curator: Here we have a radiate fraction coin of Maximian, from Cyzicus. It’s currently part of the collection at the Harvard Art Museums and weighs just 3.45 grams. Editor: Oh, it's lovely, this little bronze disc. I love the verdigris, the aged green patina. It feels like holding a tiny piece of ancient breath. Curator: These coins were essentially propaganda. Maximian ruled alongside Diocletian, and this coin, likely depicting a symbolic exchange or a ritual act, would have circulated to reinforce his authority. Editor: It's amazing to think that something so small was designed to project such power. I wonder how many hands it passed through. Did people even notice the artistry or was it just another coin? Curator: I imagine it was both, and that’s part of the power dynamic. Even mundane objects participate in the ongoing construction of state power. Editor: A tiny monument to big ambitions, worn smooth by time. I find that intensely moving.