Ten Nummi Coin of Athalaric, Rome 527 - 534

Curator: Here we have a Ten Nummi coin issued under Athalaric in Rome. It's a small thing, only about 2.53 grams, but holds so much history. Editor: Time-worn, you know? It feels like it whispers tales of long-lost hands and forgotten markets. A quiet poem. Curator: Indeed. The coin's design—the portrait, the inscriptions—speaks to the semiotic language of power and legitimacy. Editor: It's haunting, though, isn't it? Like staring at the ghost of an empire. Makes you wonder about the value we assign to these little metal faces. Curator: Value as a signifier is crucial here. The coin's materiality becomes secondary to its function within a political system. Editor: Maybe. But I’d wager some old Roman clutched this thing tight, his own personal treasure. It's the human connection that gives it real worth, right? Curator: Perhaps, and yet, the formal elements remain. Editor: Well, I still think I'd rather hold onto the feeling it gives me. A bridge across centuries, all in the palm of my hand.