Coin (AE2) of Arcadius, Nicomedia (SMN2) 392 - 395

Curator: Holding this unassuming coin, it's striking how such a small object, just 5.19 grams, can carry so much history. It's an AE2 coin of Arcadius, minted in Nicomedia. Editor: Immediately, I'm struck by its somberness. Dark, almost mournful. It feels like a relic unearthed from a forgotten empire, a silent witness to power. Curator: It's remarkable how these coins served as propaganda, circulating images and messages of imperial authority throughout the realm. It allows us to consider broader questions of social and power structures in late antiquity. Editor: Absolutely. Who was Arcadius really serving, and who benefited from this carefully crafted image of strength, while marginalized communities suffered? Curator: I think there's a haunting beauty in its decay, a reminder of time's relentless passage. Editor: Yes, beauty tinged with the sharp edges of societal structures and the often-unacknowledged price of power. It's a piece that makes you pause and reflect on whose stories are truly being told.