Coin of Corinth under Lucius Verus 161 - 169

Editor: Here we have a coin of Corinth from the time of Lucius Verus. It's small, weathered, but still shows figures on each side. What statements were these coins designed to make? Curator: Coins like these weren’t just money; they were miniature billboards. They circulated ideology as much as currency. What figures do you see represented? Editor: It looks like an emperor’s bust on one side, and maybe a goddess on the other? Curator: Exactly. The emperor’s portrait reinforced his power, while the goddess often represented the city's values or history, linking imperial authority with local identity. They were tools of soft power. Editor: So, these coins reflect a dialogue between imperial power and local identity, all within a tiny, everyday object. That's fascinating! Curator: Indeed. Examining such coins reveals much about the sociopolitical landscape of the Roman empire and how power was disseminated through visual culture.