Coin of Perge under Trebonianus Gallus? 251 - 253

Editor: Here we have a coin, potentially "Coin of Perge under Trebonianus Gallus," housed at the Harvard Art Museums. It appears quite worn. What symbolic weight do you see embedded in this object? Curator: The weathering itself becomes symbolic, doesn't it? Each scratch, each faded detail, speaks to the passage of time and the stories this coin has silently witnessed. Look closely; what figures can you discern? Editor: I can make out what looks like a portrait on one side and perhaps some kind of animal on the other? Curator: Precisely. The portrait likely represents the emperor, a symbol of power and authority, while the animal—perhaps a bull or a lion?—might connect to local deities or civic identity. Coins weren't just currency; they were powerful propaganda. Editor: That makes the act of holding a coin a kind of ritual, connecting with those historical images. Curator: Indeed. And that memory, embedded in this little metal disc, persists even today.