Coin of Antoninus Pius, Alexandria c. 140 - 141

Curator: This is a coin of Antoninus Pius, crafted in Alexandria. I'm immediately drawn to the patina, that aged, verdigris surface. It whispers of time and touch. Editor: Indeed. The material speaks volumes. Bronze, likely a copper alloy, a utilitarian choice reflecting mass production and imperial reach. Who mined the metals? How were these stamped out? Curator: I feel a connection to those hands, to the lives intersecting with this small object. It's a portal. Can you imagine the stories it could tell? Editor: I'm thinking about the workers, the conditions, the systems that enabled its creation and circulation within the economy of the time. Curator: In the end, it’s a meditation on power, its image stamped, endlessly reproduced, yet each with its own unique history and wear. It’s quite grounding. Editor: Absolutely. The physicality of the coin and its place in the daily lives of ancient people is a potent reminder of the material conditions of life.