AR Maximianus I 

Editor: Here we have a coin of Maximianus I Herculius, weighing 2.27 grams. It feels weighty, like a tangible piece of history. What story does its materiality tell? Curator: Consider the metal itself. What was its source? Who mined it? How did its value influence social hierarchies? This wasn't just currency; it was a portable declaration of imperial power, mass-produced through a network of labor. Editor: So, it's less about the artistic skill, and more about the system that created it? Curator: Exactly. The imagery is formulaic, but the coin's true significance lies in its role within the Roman economy and its dissemination of imperial ideology. Think about its exchange value, the workshops where it was minted… Editor: I never thought about a coin holding so much information. It reframes how I see even everyday objects! Curator: Indeed. It transforms the object from an art piece to a document of human labor and societal systems.