Denarius of Faustina I 147 - 161

Curator: Here we have a Denarius of Faustina I, a Roman coin currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. It weighs a mere 3.45 grams. Editor: It's remarkable how much power is concentrated in such a small object. The profile of Faustina, idealized and serene, feels almost staged. What were the politics of her image? Curator: Indeed. As the wife of Emperor Antoninus Pius, Faustina's image on coinage served as powerful propaganda. Her deification after death, and the coins issued in her honor, helped solidify the Emperor's legitimacy and promoted the imperial cult. Editor: So, her image, this carefully crafted representation, transcended her individual identity, becoming a symbol of imperial power and continuity. A poignant reminder of how women’s images have historically been used, manipulated, and instrumentalized to serve patriarchal structures. Curator: Precisely. It’s a fascinating intersection of political strategy, religious symbolism, and the construction of female identity in the ancient world. Editor: Thinking about the coin in this way, it's much more than just a relic of the past. It's a lens through which we can examine the complex interplay of power, gender, and representation.