Coin of Aelius Caesar c. 2th century

Curator: Gazing at this coin of Aelius Caesar, I'm immediately struck by its profound sense of impermanence, wouldn't you say? Editor: It’s more than just a pretty face, isn't it? This piece, residing at Harvard Art Museums, offers a snapshot into the materiality of power. Curator: Absolutely, the way it feels, worn smooth by countless hands... almost like holding a memory itself. Editor: Right, and the coin wasn’t merely currency; it was a mobile advertisement, a tangible tool used to propagate an image of power and prosperity. The weight, the metal itself – all carefully considered. Curator: It's humbling to think of all the stories this little coin could tell, isn’t it? Editor: It is, isn’t it? A reminder of the labor, the mines, the systems that supported an empire, all compressed into this small, weighty object. Curator: There's a certain beauty in that, isn't there? Editor: There certainly is.