Coin of Aelia Capitolina under Commodus(?) c. 177 - 192

Editor: This is a coin from Aelia Capitolina, potentially made under Commodus. The patina gives it such a tactile sense of history. What kind of stories do you think it carries? Curator: Indeed! The coin whispers of Aelia Capitolina, a Roman colony built on Jerusalem’s ruins. Don't you find that the image, though worn, evokes the weight of cultural shifts, the layering of Roman power over older narratives? Editor: Absolutely. It's like a material memory. I wonder what symbols were intentionally chosen for its design. Curator: Think of the images it would have held – emperors, gods, architectural marvels. Each a deliberate signifier, speaking to Roman identity, power, and ambition. Editor: It’s fascinating to consider how those symbols would have been received by a diverse population. Thanks, I hadn't thought about it that way. Curator: And I'm reminded how a single coin can hold so much meaning.