Antoninianus of Cornelia Salonina 259 - 268

Editor: This is an Antoninianus of Cornelia Salonina, a small coin held by the Harvard Art Museums. Looking at it, I feel a sense of antiquity and the weight of history. What whispers of the past do you hear when you look at this humble coin? Curator: I imagine the marketplaces of Rome, the hands that exchanged it, the stories it could tell. Notice how the portrait's almost ghostly – Salonina, glimpsed through time. Isn't it strange how something so small can hold so much power, so much potential for narrative? Editor: It really is! I hadn't thought about the stories it might tell. Curator: Exactly! It makes you wonder, doesn't it, about the value we place on objects and the memories they carry? Editor: Definitely something to ponder. Thanks for sharing your insights!