Denarius of Septimius Severus c. 203

Curator: This is a silver denarius, commissioned by and featuring Septimius Severus, a Roman Emperor, now residing at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It has that lovely silvery gleam, but also feels a little forlorn, like a forgotten relic of power. Curator: Consider the context. Coins like this weren't just money. They were tools for disseminating imperial propaganda, mass-produced objects carrying immense social weight. Editor: Right, a tiny billboard! I imagine the artisan crafting this was not thinking about timeless beauty but efficient messaging, production quotas, and perhaps a longing for a good glass of wine after a long day hammering metal. Curator: Precisely! It connects us to the Roman economy and the emperor’s image, circulated widely to legitimize his rule. Editor: Thinking of all that history pressed into such a small, worn thing makes me want to pick it up, feel its weight, and somehow hear the echoes of the people who held it before. Curator: It’s quite a potent symbol, especially when you consider its materiality and circulation. Editor: I agree, you can feel the passage of time just by looking at it.