Antoninianus of Claudius II c. 3th century

Curator: Here we have an Antoninianus of Claudius II, residing here at the Harvard Art Museums. It's incredibly small, a coin really, weighing less than 2 grams. Editor: It looks like it has been through a lot, and I find the corrosion weirdly beautiful, like an ancient patina of time itself. Curator: Indeed. Its circular form once held the crisp profile of Emperor Claudius II. Look at the remaining details—we can almost see his authority etched in the metal. Editor: You know, holding something like this makes history feel tactile. All those transactions, all those lives touched by this tiny piece of bronze. Curator: It's a tangible link to a distant era, isn't it? A small object, but loaded with significance. Editor: It makes you wonder about the journey it has been on through time. Curator: Absolutely. A silent witness to history now telling its story, so many years later.