Antoninianus of Maximian, Cyzicus c. 295 - 299

Curator: Here we have an Antoninianus of Maximian, minted in Cyzicus. It resides in the Harvard Art Museums and weighs 3.23 grams. Editor: The worn texture immediately speaks to its age and journey through time. I can see the corrosion eating at the metal, a physical manifestation of history's relentless touch. Curator: Absolutely. Coins like this were crucial for disseminating imperial imagery and projecting power across the Roman Empire. They served as miniature portable monuments. Editor: Looking at the materials, probably bronze or a low-grade silver alloy, tells us about Roman resource management and economic policies. Was it readily available, or a sign of something else? Curator: The iconography, though faded, would have conveyed specific messages about Maximian's legitimacy and military prowess, directly influencing public perception of his reign. Editor: And the wear pattern itself is a material record of countless transactions, each touch wearing it down, a poignant reminder of the human labor that underpinned the empire. Curator: It's a tangible connection to a complex past. Editor: Indeed, a small, weighty testament to the flow of power and the lives it touched.