Coin of Michael VII c. 1071 - 1078

Curator: This coin, featuring Michael VII, presents a world of imperial power concentrated within a few grams of metal. What are your initial thoughts? Editor: It feels weighty, not just literally at 5.14g, but historically. The wear speaks volumes about its journey through time and the hands it has passed through. Curator: Absolutely, and consider that the imagery – the emperor's portrait and inscriptions – served as potent propaganda, reinforcing his authority and divine right. How might it have been seen by those outside the circles of power? Editor: It's fascinating to consider the coin as a symbol, or even a tool, to solidify power. How did its visual rhetoric shape the perceptions of different social groups, particularly those who felt excluded or oppressed? Curator: Indeed, it provides an intimate glimpse into Byzantine society and allows us to consider the narratives of dominance and resistance, all etched onto this small, humble coin. Editor: It's compelling to consider how such an object could carry such symbolic weight, speaking to power, identity, and social dynamics across centuries.