University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology

     This is a picture of Roman Empire coin with the picture of Augustus on it. It is made of silver sometime between 24 and 20 BCE and is housed in the Rome Gallery of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. It is on display because this gallery showcases a small slice of everyday life in the Rome during the Roman Empire through its artifacts. It is displayed as part of a column of coins from the Roman Empire and it is almost in the middle of the gallery. The caption next to it is informative but sparingly so; it only states what it is made out of, who is on the coin and the years he lived, as well as what the inscription on the coin is. This Roman coin is important for people who are interested in the history of coins, or in the history of the Roman Empire or of the ancient world. The other objects that are nearby also contribute to our understanding of Rome during the time of the Roman Empire. One of the objects that are nearby is this mosaic:

This is possibly from the Baths of Caracalla. Another section of the gallery nearby was a small description of what family life was like for all classes in Rome during this time.

     To expand my field of study on this topic, I could research how much each coin was worth during the Roman Empire, the history of coins or the history of Roman coins, who made these coins and where, and if they were used in the same ways that we associate with coins in the present day. The people who would not be interested in this coin would be people who are not interested in learning about the Roman Empire or the ancient world, the history of Roman coins, or the history of coinage. An opposing point of view to this topic would be if someone stated that Egypt or Mesopotamia had coins or a form of currency that went farther back in time than the Roman Empire did. A way to engage the public with this coin would be to compare and contrast it to other Roman coins, to other coins from various parts around the world, from other points in history, or to coins in the present day.