Antoninianus of Carinus, Rome 282 - 283

Curator: The Antoninianus of Carinus, housed here at the Harvard Art Museums, presents an intriguing example of ancient Roman coinage. Editor: It looks incredibly worn, almost smoothed by time. I wonder how many hands it passed through? Curator: The flattening isn't just time, but also the pressures of die-striking in its creation. The copper alloy suggests a mass production aimed at wide circulation. Editor: So the very materiality speaks to the coin's function as a tool of economic and social exchange. The degradation almost humanizes it, doesn’t it? Curator: Indeed, the flattening paradoxically amplifies the remaining details. We can still see Carinus’s imperial portrait, a face meant to embody power and authority. Editor: It certainly makes you think about the labor involved in mining, smelting, and striking these coins. A whole economy is contained within this small object. Curator: An apt point, the coin serves as a powerful material symbol. Editor: Absolutely, it's a powerful testament to human connectivity through commerce and time.