Coin (AE2) of Magnentius 351 - 352

Curator: This is a coin attributed to Magnentius, currently housed at the Harvard Art Museums. It speaks volumes about power and authority. Editor: There's a certain somber quality to the piece, perhaps due to its patina. It’s a heavy, dark sphere bisected; a visual statement of something weighty and immutable. Curator: Indeed. The wear suggests it circulated widely during a tumultuous period of Roman history, witnessing firsthand the decline of an empire. Its materiality reflects the economic and political struggles of the time. Editor: The shape and texture of the coin, with its pitted surface, conveys an almost palpable sense of ruin, perhaps reflecting the ephemerality of all material forms. Curator: And yet, here it is, centuries later, a tangible link to a specific historical narrative. It forces us to consider the role of material culture in constructing and perpetuating narratives of power. Editor: Seeing it now, I reflect on the relationship between form and decay.