As of Aelius (?) 

Editor: This ancient coin, "As of Aelius (?),," a possible portrait of L. Aelius Verus Caesar, feels like holding a whisper of history. What symbols and stories do you see embedded in its worn surface? Curator: The coin itself is a symbol, Editor. Its form represents authority, power projected through a standardized, portable image. What figure do you see on the reverse side? Editor: It looks like a figure standing, perhaps holding something? Curator: Exactly. Consider that repeated images create a shared visual language. What associations did the emperor want to evoke in the collective Roman consciousness? Power, legacy, divinity? Editor: I never considered it that way, as a type of propaganda. Curator: Indeed. And even in its current damaged state, it still conveys those cultural memories. Editor: It makes me wonder what future generations will make of our symbols. Curator: A fascinating thought, Editor. What will endure and how will they be interpreted?