Coin of Edessa under Gordian III c. 3th century

Curator: Here we have a Coin of Edessa, issued during the reign of Gordian III, weighing in at about 15.72 grams. The coin comes to us from the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It’s really quite battered, isn’t it? Time and circulation have definitely taken their toll. Still, it’s evocative, makes you wonder who held it, where it traveled. Curator: Precisely. The copper alloy it's made from would have been a readily available material. Coinage like this facilitated not just trade but also the dissemination of imperial imagery and power. Editor: Absolutely. Currency functions as propaganda. Think about whose faces are valued enough to appear on it, and what that communicates about the power structures of the time. Curator: A potent little object, speaking volumes about economics and authority. Editor: I find that considering its journey through time deepens my understanding.