Coin of Botrys under Julia Soaemias c. 218 - 222

Curator: This is an artifact from the Harvard Art Museums: a coin from Botrys under Julia Soaemias, weighing just over 11 grams. Editor: It feels weighty, historically, but also fragile. I imagine the hands that held it so long ago. Curator: Indeed. Julia Soaemias was a powerful Roman woman. Coins like this were tools for propagating imperial images and influence. Editor: What strikes me is the contrast. On one side, you see a strong, defined portrait. Then the other side, a blurry symbol, almost lost to time. Curator: That contrast highlights the coin's story of power and decay, really. What endures, what fades? Editor: It’s a meditation on legacy, compressed into a tiny, worn disc. I find it so evocative. Curator: A potent reminder that even empires crumble.