Serrate Denarius of Q. Fufius Q.f. C.n. Calenus and P. Mucius Scaevola, Rome c. 70 BCE

Curator: This serrated denarius, attributed to Q. Fufius Calenus, feels like a little window into ancient Rome. It's incredibly tactile, I want to run my fingers along its edge. Editor: My first thought? It looks like a cogwheel, like some relic from an ancient machine. Was it supposed to look like this? Curator: Yes! The serrated edge was a deliberate feature. It's thought to deter forgery, ensuring the coin’s silver content was genuine. Editor: So, the material dictates the form. Interesting how anxieties about value shape even the aesthetic choices. The labor in producing all those serrations… must have been considerable. Curator: Absolutely. And the imagery itself – the conjoined heads, the symbolic gestures – speaks volumes about alliances and power. To me, it feels like holding a whispered secret. Editor: It’s a reminder that even the smallest objects carry layers of meaning, shaped by the hands that made them and the systems that gave them value. I wonder where the silver came from... Curator: And it makes you imagine all the hands it passed through! It really is remarkable.