Antoninianus of Mariniana, wife of Valerian I c. 3th century

Curator: This is an Antoninianus, a Roman coin, depicting Mariniana, the wife of Emperor Valerian I. Its modest weight of 3.7 grams belies its significance. What strikes you about it? Editor: It feels like a whisper from the past, doesn't it? The way the metal has aged, worn smooth by time. There's something quite haunting about that faint profile. Curator: Indeed. Roman coins served as propaganda tools. Depicting Mariniana, they legitimized Valerian's rule by associating him with a noble and virtuous figure. Editor: I wonder what she was really like. We only ever see the faces people want us to see. Curator: Precisely. The coin reduces a life to a symbol, a political tool. Still, it invites us to imagine the woman behind the image. Editor: It’s a strange intimacy, isn't it? Holding this tiny, time-worn object, somehow connected to a woman who lived so long ago. Curator: It's a poignant reminder of the layers of history, all pressed into something so small. Editor: Agreed. And a lovely little echo through time.