Coin of Mallos under Gordian III c. 238 - 244

Curator: This is a coin from Mallos under Gordian III. Look closely at the material. Bronze, oxidized over centuries, feels substantial in its presence. Editor: It appears quite worn, almost smoothed. I wonder what hands it has passed through, what transactions it facilitated. Was wealth distributed equally in Mallos? Curator: Roman currency often featured idealized images of emperors, projecting power, but also standardizing identity across a vast empire. The creation of a shared consciousness. Editor: It also speaks to the labor involved. Mining the metal, the process of minting, the distribution of coinage – a whole network of exploitation undergirds this object. Curator: Right, and it's a form of propaganda. The emperor's image, his authority, is literally stamped onto the means of exchange, reinforcing hierarchy at every transaction. Editor: Its eroded surface now is such a contrast to the original intent. So much gets lost, or perhaps transformed, in the course of material history. Curator: Agreed. It shows the fallibility of empires. These coins are material traces of power, but time and use have had an impact. Editor: Definitely gives you pause to consider an empire built on bronze.