Antoninianus of Maximian, Heraclea 295 - 296

Editor: This is an Antoninianus coin of Maximian, created in Heraclea. It’s weighty despite its size, and that aged bronze gives it a humble feel for something that represents an emperor. What strikes you about this coin? Curator: It whispers stories, doesn’t it? I imagine the hands it passed through, the transactions it witnessed. See how the image is worn? It’s like time itself has been smoothing it out. It's a tangible link to a world both grand and, well, gone. What do you think it felt like to hold power then? Editor: I hadn’t considered the power aspect. More like, the everyday-ness of it. Curator: Precisely! It's both, isn't it? A pocket-sized empire. Editor: A fun-size tyrant? Curator: Exactly! We should put that on the label!