Sestertius of Antoninus Pius struck for his wife Faustina I, Rome

Editor: Here we have a Sestertius of Antoninus Pius struck for his wife Faustina I. It's pretty worn but you can still make out the images. What strikes you about this piece? Curator: I see a mass-produced object, a coin, intended for circulation and trade, yet imbued with imperial power through its imagery. The material itself, bronze, speaks to the resources controlled and distributed by the Roman state. Editor: So it's less about the artistic skill, and more about how it functions as a material object within society? Curator: Exactly. Consider the labor involved in mining, refining, and striking these coins. How does this object reinforce the economic and political systems of the Roman Empire? Editor: That's a very different way of thinking about art, but it makes a lot of sense in this case. Thanks. Curator: My pleasure. Considering the coin's materiality and production broadens our understanding of its cultural impact.