Antoninianus of Otacilia Severa 

Editor: Here we have an Antoninianus of Otacilia Severa, a Roman coin. It's small, and the wear and tear speak to its long history. What can you tell me about it? Curator: Well, consider the material: silver. Its intrinsic value speaks to power structures of the Roman Empire. Minting wasn't just production; it was an act of control, of asserting economic and political dominance. What was it like to produce such pieces? Editor: So it's not just about the image, but about the physical object itself? Curator: Precisely! Think about the labor, the mines, the workshops. The coin’s worth represents an immense amount of human effort extracted from across the empire, all condensed into this one small thing. Editor: That's a new way to appreciate this piece. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure! It's all about deconstructing the object to understand its broader material reality.