Denarius of Septimius Severus c. 198 - 200

Curator: Here we have a Denarius of Septimius Severus, residing here at the Harvard Art Museums. Its 3.38 grams of silver speak volumes. Editor: It’s amazing, isn’t it? Holding a whole empire in the palm of your hand. I wonder, what was it like when it was brand new? Curator: The process of minting such coins involved significant labor and resource extraction, standardizing value while disseminating imperial imagery. Editor: It's crazy to think about the person who hammered this coin out, thinking they were just making money, and now we're here, centuries later. I feel so connected to history right now. Curator: Precisely. It reflects power structures and economic networks spanning vast territories. It speaks to the material conditions of its time. Editor: I guess I look at this object and think about the hands that held it, the stories it could tell. I feel a sense of wonder and mystery. Curator: Indeed. This denarius links us to the socio-economic framework that shaped the ancient world. Editor: A tiny artifact, yet it holds within it echoes of ancient power and dreams.