Denarius of Septimius Severus 

Curator: What a tiny portal to another world, a coin, a 'Denarius of Septimius Severus', residing here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It feels weighty somehow, despite its size. All that silver, transformed, circulated, each mark telling a story of trade and power. Curator: It whispers of empire, doesn't it? I imagine it warm in someone's palm, a promise, a payment. Editor: Made by whose hands, though? The labor is obscured, the mines, the forges... the brutal reality behind imperial grandeur. Curator: A reminder that even the shiniest things have shadows. I see Severus' face, aged, wise. He's staring right through me. Editor: Each strike of the die, a repetitive act. But those small acts built Rome, and bought its bread. I feel it in my fingers, even through the glass. Curator: Yes, a small but mighty artifact. I think this simple coin might be the most evocative thing in the room. Editor: Indeed. It’s amazing to consider the vast system of extraction and control this little coin embodies.