Coin of Eusebeia-Caesarea 

Editor: Here we have a coin from the time of Trajan, called the Coin of Eusebeia-Caesarea, at the Harvard Art Museums. It’s small, worn, but you can still make out the impressions. What can we learn from it? Curator: Considering materiality, this coin transcends its face value. Its production, likely involving mining, smelting, and striking, speaks to the labor systems of the Roman Empire. How might its circulation have impacted local economies, connecting them to larger trade networks? Editor: So, it's not just about what you could buy with it, but also about what it took to make it in the first place. Curator: Precisely. And who controlled those resources and processes? Editor: I see, it gives a new appreciation to something small. Curator: Indeed, understanding the coin's material history helps us understand the social dynamics of the time.