Denarius of Septimius Severus c. 203 - 208

Curator: This is a Denarius of Septimius Severus, currently housed at the Harvard Art Museums. Weighing just 3.6 grams, it's a small object with immense historical weight. Editor: The wear and tear are striking; you can really feel the passage of time in the eroded details of the silver. Curator: Indeed. The production of these coins was meticulously controlled; the quality of the silver and the precision of the strike were crucial for maintaining economic stability and imperial authority. Editor: And, of course, these images served as propaganda, reinforcing the emperor's image and power across the vast Roman empire. Curator: They were tools of governance. Considering the labor, the extraction, the smelting of the silver, even this single coin represents a complex web of resources and exploitation. Editor: Absolutely. Reflecting on what this small object witnessed, what hands it passed through, and the power structures it upheld gives me chills. Curator: A powerful and sobering thought. Editor: I'll never look at pocket change the same way again.