As of Trajan Decius 

Curator: Here we have a coin, credited to Trajan Decius, simply titled "As of Trajan Decius," currently residing in the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: Well, it looks… ancient. Weathered, almost like it's whispering stories of empires and long-forgotten faces. There's a heaviness to it, despite its size. Curator: Indeed. Coins like this weren't mere currency; they were propaganda. The emperor’s image, the inscriptions – they conveyed power, legitimacy, and aspirations. What visual elements strike you? Editor: The profile of Decius is quite severe, almost stoic. And on the other side, a figure… perhaps a deity? It all feels very deliberate, a calculated projection. Curator: Precisely! The figure is likely a personification of a Roman virtue, or perhaps a goddess associated with prosperity and security. These symbols reinforced the idea of a strong, divinely supported empire. Editor: It’s fascinating how such a small object can hold so much symbolic weight, so much cultural memory. Makes you wonder about the hands it passed through, the stories it witnessed. Curator: Absolutely. Even its current state of wear tells a story of time, trade, and the ebb and flow of history. It continues to communicate volumes. Editor: Yes. A tiny bronze mirror reflecting a long, lost world.