Dupondius of Trajan Decius c. 3th century

Curator: Looking at this, I'm immediately struck by how worn it is. It has this weight of time, doesn't it? Editor: Indeed. What we're observing is a Dupondius of Trajan Decius, a Roman emperor from the 3rd century. The piece is held at the Harvard Art Museums, weighing a solid 11.65 grams. Curator: Imagine all the hands it's passed through! I see power etched into its surface, a face trying to stare back at us. Editor: Precisely. Coins like these were not just currency but also powerful propaganda tools. They circulated images of the emperor, reinforcing his authority. Curator: It’s humbling, thinking about what this coin could have bought someone back then – bread, maybe? A small moment of sustenance within an empire. Editor: And for others, perhaps the price of subjugation, reflecting Rome's expansionist policies and the socio-economic hierarchies it imposed. It's a complex artifact whispering stories of both empire and individual lives. Curator: A small, weighty story, then. It makes you wonder about what we value now. Editor: Absolutely. The Dupondius challenges us to consider the legacy of power and the prices of empire.