Antoninianus of Tetricus I 270 - 273

Curator: This is an Antoninianus of Tetricus I, a Roman coin currently residing in the Harvard Art Museums, weighing in at just over two grams. Editor: It looks… well, worn. Almost brutally so. I’m getting a sense of fragility, of something precious eroded by time and, perhaps, carelessness. Curator: Indeed. This coin offers insight into the tumultuous era of the Gallic Empire in the late 3rd century CE. Tetricus I was a breakaway emperor in a politically fractured Roman world. Editor: So, this wasn't just currency; it's a statement of power, a form of propaganda, circulated during a period of instability. Who would have held this, and what did it mean to them? Curator: Precisely. It underscores how even mundane objects like coins were deeply enmeshed with imperial power and legitimacy. Editor: The coin's battered state speaks volumes. It’s a visceral reminder that power is always transient. Curator: A powerful observation, reminding us that even the mightiest empires eventually fade, leaving behind tangible artifacts that hint at the past.