AE Valentinian II c. 4th century

Curator: This is an AE Valentinian II coin, currently held within the Harvard Art Museums. I am immediately struck by its weathered appearance; it feels like something unearthed from the earth. Editor: Yes, the patinas of time are etched into its very surface. The coin is small but heavy, carrying the weight of a fallen empire, wouldn't you say? Curator: Absolutely. Coins like this were not mere currency; they served as miniature billboards of imperial authority, bearing portraits of the emperor. Each symbol was carefully chosen to project power and legitimacy. Editor: Yet consider how power dynamics shift. Once clutched in the hands of merchants and citizens, now this object rests silently in a museum vitrine, its original purpose almost forgotten. Curator: But the images endure, even fragmented as they are. They speak to our collective memory, reminding us of empires risen and fallen, of the enduring human quest for power and meaning. Editor: A somber reminder, perhaps, but one that prompts us to question the narratives we inherit and the structures that shape our present.