Follis of Maximinus II, Nicomedia 310 - 311

Curator: Here we have a Follis of Maximinus II from Nicomedia, a coin attributed to Maximinus Daia, residing here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's like holding a tiny, weathered storybook in your hand. The patina, the worn details – it whispers of journeys and transactions long past. Curator: Indeed. Notice the incised portrait, its profile rigidly adhering to established conventions of imperial representation. The careful arrangement of text and image creates a potent symbolic order. Editor: Yet within that order, there's a human element struggling to peek through. The wear gives him a kind of melancholy, a hint of mortality despite the intended message of power. Curator: We can analyze the coin as a site where power is negotiated. How the symbol of the emperor reflects ideological aspirations and the actual circulation. Editor: For me, it’s a connection to a soul I would never have met, a king for a moment, now a ghost pressed in my palm. Curator: A fruitful exchange of perspectives; it seems that the coin continues to yield its secrets, doesn't it? Editor: Definitely, and the best stories are the ones that leave you with more questions than answers.