Denarius of Julius Caesar, Hispania 46 BCE-45 BCE

Curator: So, here we have a Denarius, a silver coin issued by none other than Julius Caesar in Hispania. It's a tiny thing, only 3.82 grams. What’s your first impression? Editor: Immediate? The weight of history. I imagine all the hands this passed through, the transactions it witnessed. The sheer materiality is overwhelming. Curator: Exactly! And think of the ego needed to put your own image on currency! A statement about power, control, and a kind of immortality. Editor: Well, it’s also about standardizing value, facilitating trade. The *process* of minting these, the labor involved, is a testament to Roman administrative prowess. Curator: I suppose. But there's something almost… haunting about seeing Caesar's face staring back at you, across millennia, isn't there? Editor: I'm more fascinated by the distribution networks, the economic flows these coins represent. It is all a product of material and social interactions. Curator: So, more about the what and less about the who? Fair enough. It remains a powerful artifact regardless of what we read into it, wouldn't you say? Editor: Indeed. It is a tangible link to the past, ready for anyone to make their own story.