Coin of Asia under Caracalla c. 2th - 3th century

Curator: Here we have an artifact hailing all the way from the Harvard Art Museums, a coin of Asia under Caracalla. Editor: My first thought? This feels less like a coin and more like a portal, a scrying mirror into the past. It's beautifully weathered. Curator: Absolutely! When we consider its materiality, its mass of 10.53 grams, we’re contemplating the very substance of empire, the actual metal used to facilitate trade and project power. Editor: Right! But, beyond the commerce, imagine the hands that touched this coin, the transactions, the stories. It's a tangible link to countless lives, all etched into this small disc. Curator: In a way, it's still circulating, just in a different economy—the economy of meaning. Editor: Exactly. It reminds us that value is fluid, transforming with time and perspective. So much history in one small coin.