Denarius of Elagabalus c. 219 - 220

Editor: This is a silver denarius of Elagabalus. It's so small, yet it served as a powerful tool of propaganda. What narratives do you think it's trying to construct? Curator: It's fascinating how a coin can embody political and social anxieties. Consider Elagabalus's reign—marked by religious controversy and gender transgression. How might this denarius, circulated widely, serve to legitimize or perhaps even obscure those complexities? What does it tell us about power and representation? Editor: I never thought about it that way, I was more focused on the portraits, but now I wonder who was this coin actually for? Curator: Exactly! It forces us to confront who is being addressed, and whose perspectives are being marginalized or erased. Food for thought.