Coin of John II c. 12th century

Curator: Here we have a gold coin, attributed to John II. It's currently held in the collections of the Harvard Art Museums. What are your first thoughts? Editor: It looks like a tiny sun, doesn't it? Battered a bit by time, but still radiating a certain…authority. It speaks of empires and the weight of power, literally. Curator: Indeed. This coin offers us a glimpse into the Byzantine Empire, specifically the reign of John II. Coins like these were tools of imperial propaganda, circulating images of the emperor and reinforcing his authority. Editor: Propaganda, huh? Even in something so small and beautiful. It's a reminder that art, even something as functional as currency, is never truly neutral. Everything has a purpose, a message embedded in the metal. Curator: Precisely. The imagery on this coin, carefully chosen and reproduced thousands of times, was instrumental in shaping the perception of John II and his rule. Editor: That's so wild. It is like the ancient version of putting your face on money today. Curator: It is a statement of power meant to circulate. Editor: It makes me wonder about the hands it passed through, the stories it could tell.