Asper of John II of Trebizond c. 1280 - 1297

Curator: Well, look at this! It's an asper, a coin if you will, attributed to John II Komnenos of Trebizond. Editor: My first thought? Worn, but incredibly weighty, not just in grams, but history. You can feel it. Curator: It's more than just metal, of course. Consider the hands that held it, the markets it passed through... Editor: Exactly! The production of this small object, the labor involved, the very material it's made from - it connects us to a whole economic system, a society. Was silver readily available then? What was the process of minting like? Curator: And beyond the practical, think of the symbolic value. Each strike of the die, an assertion of power, a tiny advertisement of the emperor's authority... I wonder what stories this coin could tell. Editor: It really makes you think about value, doesn't it? What we deem precious, and why.