Sestertius of Philip I c. 3th century

Curator: Let's discuss this sestertius, a bronze coin of Philip I, the Arab, currently held in the Harvard Art Museums. The coin weighs 15.11 grams. Editor: Immediately, I'm struck by how much history this small artifact holds. It's worn, but I imagine it holds incredible symbolic weight. Curator: Exactly. The coin's materiality—the bronze itself, the process of its minting—speaks to the Roman economy and the emperor's control over resource extraction and labor. Editor: And that portrait! What symbols were intentionally chosen to portray Philip I? It tells us how he wanted to be perceived, and what aspects of his rule he wanted to emphasize. Curator: Indeed, the imagery would have been deliberately chosen. But it's also crucial to consider how mass production and distribution of these coins fostered a collective identity and reinforced social structures throughout the Empire. Editor: Fascinating. It really opens the mind to so much more than just monetary value. Curator: Precisely. A material object reflecting power dynamics! Editor: And symbols, etched in metal for millennia.