Coin of Claudius II? c. 3th century

Curator: This "Coin of Claudius II?" at the Harvard Art Museums offers a glimpse into ancient Rome. The object weighs 9.71 grams. Editor: Its patinated surface and fragmented edge immediately evoke a sense of ruin and the passage of time. I see a king with a radiate crown. Curator: Radiate crowns are meant to be connected to the sun. These coins acted as vehicles for imperial ideology; consider the labor involved in minting countless copies of this image and how the Roman state controlled its circulation. Editor: Absolutely. And this particular image of the radiate king, it embodies ideas of power, divinity, and Roman imperial authority. The sun as a symbol of Roman power, warming and illuminating the empire. Curator: Right. The coin embodies the empire's economic and social structure, illustrating the exchange of goods and power. Editor: Seeing this worn coin, I consider the weight of cultural memory embedded within these images, passed down through generations. Curator: Indeed, it is incredible how much information is stored within this small, almost insignificant object.