Follis of Licinius I, London 316 - 317

Curator: Well, if that isn't the most humble portrait I've seen all day. It looks like something you'd find nestled at the bottom of an old purse. Editor: That's Licinius I for you, literally! This is a Follis of Licinius I, a Roman coin minted in London. A fascinating piece from the Harvard Art Museums collection. It weighs just over 3 grams. Curator: Amazing to think of all the hands it passed through, the empires it survived. It's more than just metal. It is a little talisman. Editor: Absolutely, it is a potent symbol. Licinius's reign was marked by conflict and religious upheaval. These coins helped solidify his authority and project his image across the empire. Each detail chosen to reinforce imperial ideology. Curator: I see the ghost of a crown, the whisper of power. I think of all the taxes paid with this coin, all the bread it bought, the stories it could tell if it only could. Editor: It's a powerful reminder that even the smallest objects can carry immense historical weight. Curator: Makes you wonder what our current pocket change will say about us in two thousand years. Editor: Exactly, a reflection on the ephemerality of power and permanence of art.