Serrate Denarius of L. Memmius, Rome c. 106

Curator: This is a Serrate Denarius, a Roman coin, crafted by L. Memmius. The serrated edges are quite striking, aren't they? Editor: Yes, they give it such a raw, almost brutal feel. And the way the images are worn speaks to centuries of handling, of circulation within a complex economy. Curator: Indeed. On one side, we see the head of Saturn, a powerful deity of agriculture and time. The other shows Ceres, goddess of harvest, riding a biga, a two-horse chariot. Editor: Ceres and Saturn both represent the land’s bounty, and together reflect the economic base that supported Rome. It’s telling that these figures would be prominently displayed on currency. Curator: They symbolize Rome's reliance on agriculture and its hopes for prosperity, visually embedding those ideas into everyday life. Editor: Absolutely. These coins were less about abstract value and more about physically embodying the power and ideals of the Roman state. It is an overt, perhaps even blunt, statement of societal priorities. Curator: A fascinating intersection of economics and symbolic representation, wouldn't you agree? Editor: Certainly. And it reminds us that currency has always been a powerful tool for communicating cultural values.