Antoninianus of Claudius II Gothicus? 

Curator: This is an Antoninianus of Claudius II Gothicus, currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. The weight is around 2.53 grams. Editor: There’s something haunting about this small coin—the patinated surface, worn smooth by time, hints at the countless hands it has passed through. Curator: Indeed. Coins such as this were not merely currency; they were tools of imperial propaganda. The imagery and inscriptions were carefully crafted to convey power and legitimacy. Editor: I wonder about the experience of the marginalized under his reign. How might someone excluded from its promise of prosperity view this object? Did it hold the same symbolic weight? Curator: An important question. The public role of these coins extended to solidifying the emperor’s image, yet their impact varied vastly depending on social status and geographic location. Editor: It’s a stark reminder that even the smallest artifact can be a potent symbol of power and its uneven distribution. Curator: Precisely. Reflecting on this coin invites us to reconsider the narratives of value, influence, and marginalization throughout history.