Coin of Sebastopolis under Septimius Severus 193 - 211

Curator: Looking at this coin of Sebastopolis under Septimius Severus, now held at the Harvard Art Museums, I’m struck by its weight—13.6 grams—a tangible link to a distant era. Editor: It feels worn, doesn't it? Like a whispered secret passed down through centuries of touch. The verdigris softens the sharp details. Curator: Absolutely. Septimius Severus, a Roman emperor, appears on one side, and the inscription speaks to the city of Sebastopolis. These images were tools of imperial power. Editor: Yes, coins were a form of propaganda, of course, circulating images and messages of Roman authority throughout the empire's vast reach. Consider whose hands never touched this coin! Curator: And in Sebastopolis, this imagery would have been a constant reminder of Roman power, playing into the construction of identity and power dynamics. Editor: It’s humbling, isn’t it? A simple coin, really, yet it opens up a window into complex societal structures and the weight of history. Curator: Indeed. Something so small can hold an empire.