Tetradrachm of Alexandria under Claudius II Gothicus c. 267 - 268

Curator: Here we have a glimpse into antiquity with a Tetradrachm of Alexandria under Claudius II Gothicus, residing here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: Oh, it looks absolutely weathered and aged, a ghostly greenish patina cloaking what once must have been a gleaming surface. Curator: Exactly. These coins were, in essence, portable propaganda, disseminating images of imperial power far and wide. Editor: So, each coin a miniature statement about Roman authority, its leader. I imagine the original impression was one of solid power, now softened with time. Curator: Indeed. And the discovery of these coins tells us much about trade routes, military campaigns, the very ebb and flow of life in that era. Editor: It's curious how something so small can whisper stories of emperors and empires, connecting us across millennia. I find it rather haunting, and beautiful. Curator: I agree, there is a certain beauty in the echoes of the past.