Coin of C. Clovius for Julius Caesar, Uncertain Mint 45 BCE

Editor: This is a bronze coin of Julius Caesar, issued by C. Clovius. It’s really small, but what strikes me is how history can be held in your hand like this. What do you make of its public role back then? Curator: Coins were powerful tools of propaganda. Caesar's image on coinage solidified his power, shaping his public persona. Consider how the Roman state used imagery to communicate authority. What symbols do you notice? Editor: I see the eagle on one side, maybe a laurel wreath on the other? They seem like deliberate choices. Curator: Precisely. The eagle symbolized Roman power, the wreath, victory. Coins were one of the earliest forms of mass media, weren't they? Editor: It’s fascinating to think about how even something so small could wield such influence. Thanks! Curator: Indeed, a tiny object with enormous political weight. A lasting lesson!