Antoninianus of Claudius II c. 3th century

Curator: This is an Antoninianus coin of Claudius II Gothicus, currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It looks...worn. Heavily patinated, almost ghostly. The details are softened, but you can still sense the authority intended. Curator: Indeed. Minted during his brief reign, these coins served as a crucial tool for projecting power and legitimizing his rule in a tumultuous era. Coinage as propaganda, really. Editor: Absolutely. Even the metal itself speaks to the era. The verdigris whispers tales of buried history, of commerce and conflict, all imprinted with Claudius’s imperial image. Curator: Precisely. Consider how this small object facilitated not just trade, but also the transmission of political messages throughout the Roman Empire. Editor: It’s fascinating how something so degraded can still carry such resonance, linking us to a very specific moment in history. Curator: And how its very existence offers a tangible connection to the social and political dynamics of the third century. Editor: It makes you wonder what other stories this small coin could tell.