As of Antoninus Pius c. 2th century

Curator: Here we have a bronze coin, “As of Antoninus Pius,” currently residing in the Harvard Art Museums. Immediately, I’m struck by how the patina transforms a simple object into something almost ethereal. Editor: Indeed. The bust of Antoninus Pius radiates an aura of serene authority, doesn't it? The laurel wreath, the confident gaze, all whispers of power and legitimacy, and I see a woman standing in robes on the reverse. Curator: The woman most likely represents a personification of a virtue, perhaps Pax, goddess of peace. Coins like these were miniature billboards of the Roman state, constantly reinforcing its ideals and claims. Editor: Funny how the faces of empires end up in our pockets, literally changing hands. This object, small as it is, speaks to so much. I find myself contemplating the weight of power, both wielded and symbolized. Curator: Absolutely. It makes you wonder about the stories it could tell, the hands it has passed through over the centuries.