Sestertius of Alexander Severus 

Curator: Here we have a sestertius – a Roman bronze coin – bearing the image of Emperor Alexander Severus, currently held in the Harvard Art Museums. The coin weighs almost 20 grams. Editor: It has a solemn, weighty feel, doesn't it? I imagine the countless hands it passed through. A silent witness. Curator: The coin itself, its material value, provided a tangible link to the emperor and his power. It standardized trade and facilitated the distribution of resources. Editor: And now it's encased, observed, a silent story speaking volumes about an empire, about value, about the fleeting nature of power, no? Curator: Precisely. The material itself speaks to the processes of extraction, crafting, and ultimately, economic control in ancient Rome. Editor: Absolutely, and for me, to hold something like this is to feel a tangible connection to the human story, even if it's just a whisper.