Antoninianus of Salonina c. 3th century

Curator: Here we have a Roman coin, an Antoninianus of Salonina, currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's aged beautifully. It feels somber, weighty. Like holding a little piece of history. Curator: Absolutely. We see on one side a portrait of Salonina, wife of Emperor Gallienus. On the other, an allegorical figure, likely representing Pax, seated and holding an olive branch. The imagery speaks volumes about aspirations for peace and stability during a tumultuous period. Editor: I agree; the icon of Pax is clearly a political statement. But I also wonder about the labor: the die-cutting, the metallurgy involved in producing countless coins like these. It represents a complex economic and social system. Curator: A perfect point; production certainly impacted iconography. The medium became the message. Editor: Exactly. It's tempting to see it as just a coin, but it's so much more than that. Curator: A compelling insight. This coin's visual language tells quite the story.