Antoninianus of Gallienus 

Editor: This is an Antoninianus, a coin of Gallienus. It’s quite worn, giving it a tactile, almost sculptural quality. What stands out to you in its form? Curator: The effacement of the image plane is remarkable. Note the tension between the raised relief and the degradation of the metal. This creates a fascinating interplay of legibility and illegibility, doesn't it? Editor: It really does. Can you say more about that interplay? Curator: We see a dialogue between the original intention of the design, which would have conveyed power and authority, and the subsequent effects of time and circulation, which erode that very message. A semiotician might observe how this affects the symbolic value. Editor: So, its physical degradation almost becomes part of the coin's message. Curator: Precisely. The physical deterioration is not merely damage, but rather an integral aspect of its present aesthetic being, altering our perception. Editor: That’s a perspective I hadn’t considered. Thanks!