Coin of Constantine I, Thessalonica 324

Curator: Immediately I’m struck by the material decay, the way time and use have softened the forms. Editor: This is a coin of Constantine I, struck in Thessalonica. Coins like this were not just currency; they were propaganda tools. Curator: Absolutely, the portrait is key. Even worn, you can see the intent to convey power and authority through those sharp lines and determined gaze. Editor: These coins would have circulated widely, carrying Constantine's image and, by extension, his power, to all corners of the empire. It’s a form of mass media, really. Curator: It is! And consider the reverse—the imagery and inscription reinforcing his legitimacy. Even the act of distribution was a performance of imperial control. Editor: Seeing it now, I am struck by the textures, and how much the artist was able to imbue into something so small. Curator: Exactly, it’s not just an object, it’s a statement, one that continues to speak to us across millennia. Editor: A small, yet tangible reminder of the Roman Empire and its efforts to shape its own image.