Quadrans of M. Marcius Mn.f., Rome c. 134

Curator: This is a bronze Quadrans of M. Marcius Mn.f. from Rome, currently residing in the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It looks like a little, battered memory. I feel a sense of history's weight on its surface. Curator: Indeed. This coin represents a small denomination of Roman currency. Notice the depiction of a prow of a galley? Editor: Yes! It’s almost as if the artist wanted to encapsulate Rome’s naval power in this tiny object. Incredible detail for something so small. Curator: Exactly. And the materials matter here: bronze, a metal readily available, signifies the ubiquity of trade and the Roman state's power projected through monetary circulation. Editor: So, more than just money, it’s also about making a statement. A pocket-sized advertisement of Roman might, distributed far and wide. Curator: Precisely. Examining such an object reminds us that even the smallest artifacts can reveal immense information about production, distribution, and the social order of the time. Editor: It makes me want to dig up my childhood coin collection! Thanks, this has been a fascinating peek into the past.