AE Severus Alexander and Julia Mamaea 

Curator: This is an ancient coin featuring Severus Alexander and Julia Mamaea, currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It looks almost ghostly, doesn't it? Like peering into a faded memory. I wonder what stories this little thing could tell. Curator: Coins like this served not only as currency but also as propaganda, disseminating the emperor's image and reinforcing his legitimacy. Notice how the dual portrait subtly emphasizes Mamaea's power as advisor. Editor: I see that, and it's fascinating. It's almost as if the artist was hinting at a co-rulership, a partnership. Maybe that's why I see a certain peace in it, despite its age. Curator: It's a tangible connection to the past, a piece of history we can still hold and examine today. Editor: Makes you think about what objects from our own time might become these kinds of relics, whispering stories about us centuries from now.