Coin of Odessos under Gordian III c. 3th century

Curator: Here we have a Coin of Odessos, issued during the reign of Gordian III. It’s a bronze coin, weighing in at just over 10 grams, a tangible piece of history. Editor: I feel the weight of empires in that little disc. It’s worn, yes, but there's a solemn kind of beauty in its age. Curator: Exactly. The materiality speaks volumes about its production and circulation within the Roman economy. Consider the mining, the casting, the distribution. Editor: And who held it? What transactions did it witness? Makes you think about all those hands it passed through. Was someone dreaming big with it or just trying to make it through the day? Curator: It bridges the gap between the grand narratives of emperors and the everyday lives of ordinary people. Editor: It does. I am just moved thinking about how something so humble carried so much value, both then and now, telling the story. Curator: That’s the wonder of objects, isn’t it? Editor: Indeed! Makes you appreciate that a tiny thing can hold so much meaning.