As of Severus Alexander 

Curator: This is a coin, "As of Severus Alexander," currently held in the Harvard Art Museums collection. The surface is quite worn. Editor: The patinated bronze gives it a somber quality, almost like a relic excavated from the earth itself. Curator: Indeed. Consider the material conditions in which such an object was produced – the labor of mining, refining, striking. Every hand that touched it. Editor: And the composition! The sharp profile of Severus Alexander contrasts beautifully with the reverse image, though its details are now obscured. Curator: Coins like this served as propaganda tools, disseminating images and messages of imperial power and economic control throughout society. Editor: It's incredible how much information and power could be condensed into something so small. It makes one consider the aesthetics of power in a new way. Curator: Absolutely. It brings the past to life. Editor: A fascinating, tangible piece of history.