denarius of Faustina II 161 - 176

Curator: This is a denarius of Faustina II, currently held in the Harvard Art Museums collection. Editor: It's amazing! I get a really strong sense of the past, you know? Like holding a tiny, worn memory in your hands. Curator: Absolutely. These coins were not just currency; they were tools of imperial propaganda. Faustina, as the wife of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, was quite prominent on coinage. Editor: So, her image was everywhere? It's like the ancient Roman version of seeing a president's face on money, only way more personal. Curator: Precisely. Coinage was how the emperor and his family visually communicated power and influence throughout the vast Roman Empire. Editor: It makes you wonder about the hands this little coin passed through. Farmers, merchants, soldiers... Did they ever imagine we'd be looking at her face two thousand years later? Curator: It really highlights the enduring power of images and the messages they convey, even across millennia. Editor: It's pretty humbling to think about. So much history, so much humanity, all compressed onto this tiny piece of metal. It's like a time capsule.