Denarius of L. Calpurnius L.f. L.n. Piso Frugi, Rome c. 90 BCE

Curator: Isn’t it remarkable how much history can be held in something so small? This is a silver denarius, a Roman coin, made by L. Calpurnius Piso Frugi. Editor: The wear on it gives such an evocative feel, like holding a whisper from the past. It makes you wonder who clutched it tight, what markets it crossed. Curator: Absolutely. The process of minting these coins was quite deliberate, involving skilled laborers and carefully controlled metallurgy. The silver itself would have been sourced from mines across the Roman Republic. Editor: And the imagery! On one side, a noble head, perhaps a god or ancestor, radiating authority. The other, a figure riding at full tilt – a victory, or perhaps a memory, frozen in time. Curator: It speaks to the power of symbols, doesn't it? Each element, from the silver itself to the figures depicted, would have been carefully chosen to convey a message about Roman power and values. Editor: It is a gorgeous tangible link, isn't it? To think of it as both a work of art, and an object of labor, imbues it with such resonance.