Denarius of Juba II of Mauretania 11 CE

Curator: Here we see a denarius of Juba II of Mauretania. The coin, held in the collections of the Harvard Art Museums, weighs only 2.21 grams. Editor: It's remarkable how much power and history is contained within such a small object. You can almost feel the weight of that bygone era. Curator: Absolutely. The materiality of silver itself speaks to the wealth and trade networks of the time. The creation of coinage was a deliberate social and economic act. Editor: And the portraits – on one side Juba II, and on the other imagery related to Cleopatra, if I'm not mistaken - tell a story of power, alliances, and cultural exchange between Rome and North Africa. Curator: Precisely. The minting of these coins demonstrates a complex interplay of local identity and Roman influence. It's a hybrid object. Editor: It makes you think about how identity can be manufactured and projected. Curator: Indeed. It's a fascinating artifact. Editor: It truly is.