Coin of Hadrianeia under Philip I c. 3th century

Editor: Here we have a coin of Hadrianeia under Philip I, a Roman emperor. It's small and worn. What can you tell me about the socio-political context of such a coin? Curator: Coins like this weren't just currency, they were propaganda. Think about the messages the emperor wanted to send. Who was Philip trying to reach with this imagery? What values or power dynamics are being communicated? Editor: So, it's less about its monetary value and more about its symbolic role? Curator: Precisely! Coins circulated widely. They were a readily available medium for projecting imperial power and ideology throughout the vast Roman Empire. It's about accessibility and control of the visual narrative. Editor: That gives me a new appreciation for something I would have just seen as a historical artifact. Curator: Exactly. Each coin offers insight into the calculated construction of power and the dissemination of ideas in antiquity.