Trachy of Theodore Komnenos-Doukas of Epeiros c. 1224 - 1225

Curator: This is a trachy, a coin, of Theodore Komnenos-Doukas of Epeiros, part of the Harvard Art Museums collection. It's a small thing, just 4.59 grams. Editor: It feels weighty though, doesn't it? Like a portal to another time. That verdigris patina, the way the imagery is worn smooth in places... it speaks of journeys, of being held and traded. Curator: Exactly. One side shows the emperor with Saint Theodore. The other features the imperial eagle, a clear statement of authority. Coins were propaganda, after all. Editor: That double-headed eagle, such a potent symbol of power and dominion, staring both east and west. But look at the figures on the other side, almost blending together now, worn down. It's a reminder that even empires fade. Curator: I agree. Power is fleeting, but the symbolic charge of these images endures, travelling through history. Editor: Absolutely. Imagine the stories this little coin could tell. It whispers of ambition, faith, and the relentless march of time.