Tetradrachm of Alexandria under Gallienus c. 259 - 260

Curator: What strikes me immediately about this Tetradrachm of Alexandria under Gallienus, a coin weighing 12.4 grams held in the Harvard Art Museums, is its worn surface. It’s a tangible relic of power. Editor: Absolutely. The wear speaks volumes. This coin, likely minted during a period of political instability, reveals so much about the social hierarchies of Roman Egypt. Curator: How so? Well, on one side, the emperor’s profile projects authority. While the reverse features an eagle, a common symbol of Roman power, here representing the city of Alexandria. Editor: But what does it mean to have that authoritarian profile stamped on currency, circulated among a populace enduring various forms of marginalization? The coin becomes a tool of cultural dominance. Curator: Indeed. Its imagery served to reinforce the empire's control, even in a region with its own distinct cultural identity. It’s a fascinating intersection of Roman imperial power and local identity. Editor: It is. Thinking about whose hands it passed through, whose lives it touched, gives it a resonance that echoes through the ages.