Antoninianus of Tacitus c. 3th century

Editor: This is an Antoninianus of Tacitus, a coin held at the Harvard Art Museums. It's quite small and patinated. What can you tell me about how its materiality speaks to its context? Curator: The coin's materiality offers insights into Roman-era metalworking and economic systems. The base metal content, the minting process, and wear patterns reveal how these objects were produced, consumed, and circulated within society. The coin itself embodies labor, materiality, and consumption. Editor: That's fascinating. So, the value wasn't just symbolic? Curator: Precisely. The material worth, the labor invested, and its role in trade all contributed. Editor: I never considered the labor involved in minting something like this. Curator: Exactly! Analyzing the coin's material composition allows us to move past traditional art-historical boundaries. It prompts questions about the economic and social context of its production and use.