Coin of Gallienus c. 3th century

Editor: Here we have a coin of Gallienus from the Harvard Art Museums. It looks incredibly worn. How does the physical object, the material itself, inform our understanding? Curator: This coin, its metallic composition, its weight of 3.02 grams, speaks volumes about Roman resource extraction, minting practices, and economic systems. What does this materiality reveal about the coin's original function and its subsequent circulation within Roman society? Editor: So, it’s less about the image on the coin and more about what the coin *is*? Curator: Precisely. Consider the labor involved in mining, smelting, and striking this coin. How does this object connect us to the lives of those who produced and used it, reflecting power dynamics and economic realities of the time? Editor: I never thought of it that way; it makes me consider the whole system behind just one coin!