Coin of Isinda 

Curator: Here we have a coin from Isinda, minted during the reign of Gallienus. Its weight is recorded at 4.9 grams. It is currently part of the Harvard Art Museums collection. Editor: It looks like it's been to the bottom of a wishing well and back! So patinated and textured. I imagine holding it would feel like grasping a piece of ancient earth. Curator: Indeed! Its materiality speaks to its use within specific economies and power structures of the period. We see how this token facilitated exchange and, in a sense, embodied imperial authority. Editor: It's easy to forget the hands that touched this, the transactions it facilitated. It's a tangible link to a bygone world and the emperor Gallienus. Curator: A reminder that even the smallest artifact can reveal vast stories about production, trade, and the material conditions of life. Editor: Makes you wonder where its journey will take it next!