Denarius of Antoninus Pius c. 157 - 158

Curator: At the Harvard Art Museums, we have a fascinating piece: a Denarius of Antoninus Pius. Editor: It looks like it has been through the wars! It's almost as if it has stories etched into its worn surface, like wrinkles on an old face. Curator: Indeed. Its composition invites us to consider the interplay between representation and material decay. The imperial portrait contrasts starkly with the coin’s fragmented edge. Editor: I love how the artist—Antoninus Pius himself, in a way—used such limited space to convey power. It's an early form of branding, really, but with a sense of timelessness that modern logos often lack. Curator: And the semiotic weight of such an object! Currency, authority, identity—all concentrated into a single, small form. Editor: Holding this coin, you can almost feel the weight of the Roman Empire in your palm. Curator: Precisely. It exemplifies how objects, even utilitarian ones, can embody profound aesthetic and historical value. Editor: It certainly gives pause, doesn't it? A tiny window into a vast empire.