Coin of Constantius Gallus, Siscia 351 - 354

Curator: It feels so heavy, doesn’t it? Like holding a tiny, tarnished mirror to a vanished empire. Editor: Indeed. This is a coin of Constantius Gallus, minted in Siscia and residing here at the Harvard Art Museums. It’s a humble piece, really, but a vital artifact. Curator: Humble, but holding stories. You see the stern profile? The other side… what is that, a soldier? Editor: A soldier spearing a fallen horseman, actually. It's classic propaganda, projecting military strength and imperial power. Curator: Power reduced to this small circle. I wonder who held it last, what hopes they had for the empire it represented. Editor: It's about more than individual hopes. These coins were tools, circulating messages, reinforcing the regime's legitimacy in every transaction. Curator: Still, the weight... the tangible connection to a person and a time so distant. It makes history more than just words, I think. Editor: Yes, history lived and spent, quite literally. It's a powerful reminder of how material culture shapes our understanding of the past.