Coin of Michael VII c. 1071 - 1078

Editor: This is a coin of Michael VII. Seeing its worn surface, I wonder about the hands it passed through. How do you interpret this work, thinking about its making and circulation? Curator: The materiality speaks volumes. The coin's production – the extraction of metal, the die-striking process – reflects the emperor's power but also its limitations. The wear and tear signifies its life as a commodity, embodying labor and trade within a specific social context. It’s not just currency, it's a record of Byzantine economic structures. Editor: That's fascinating. I'd never thought of it that way. Curator: Thinking about the hands that made it and handled it helps to understand the society.