Coin of Trachonitis under Julia Domna c. 193 - 211

Curator: Here we have a coin of Trachonitis, issued during the reign of Julia Domna, wife of Septimius Severus, part of the Harvard Art Museums collection. Editor: It's so worn, isn’t it? The low relief and patinated surface give it a feeling of immense age, of secrets whispered across millennia. Curator: Precisely! Note the portrait on the obverse. Though degraded, the composition remains powerful, with its emphasis on line and subtle gradations of tone. Editor: Absolutely. Julia Domna's image is deliberately austere. It suggests her authority and perhaps also alludes to the Roman ideal of female virtue and power. Curator: Indeed. The coin's symbolism offers a glimpse into the image-making of empire. Editor: It leaves me pondering the narratives—both intended and unintended—imprinted on this small disc. Curator: Yes, a potent combination of form and iconography.