Follis of Diocletian, Carthage 298 - 299

Curator: This is a Follis of Diocletian, produced in Carthage. What catches your eye first about this piece? Editor: Honestly, its worn texture. It feels like holding history, a physical connection to an empire. I imagine all the hands it passed through. Curator: Indeed. Currency during Diocletian's reign served as both a medium of exchange and a tool for imperial propaganda. Images and inscriptions reinforced his authority. Editor: It’s amazing how such a small object could carry so much weight, both literally and figuratively. You know, like a metaphor in your pocket. Curator: It speaks volumes about the intersection of power, economics, and visual culture in the late Roman Empire. Editor: It does make you wonder what stories this particular coin could tell, if it could talk. Curator: And what stories we tell ourselves, projecting onto its surface. Editor: Exactly. It's a tiny, tarnished mirror reflecting us back across the centuries.