Coin of Phokas c. 606 - 610

Editor: This is a coin of Phokas, a small artifact now residing in the Harvard Art Museums. Its weathered surface speaks of a long journey. What stories do you think it could tell? Curator: It whispers of power structures. This coin, issued under Phokas, wasn't just currency; it was propaganda. Consider the image it bears. Whose narrative is amplified, and whose is silenced? Power etches its own image onto history. Editor: So, it's more than just an object of value? Curator: Precisely. Think about the act of holding this coin. Who held it? What transactions, what exchanges of power did it facilitate? A coin's value transcends its material; it embodies a social contract, constantly negotiated and often contested. Editor: It gives a new perspective about the past. Thanks for helping me understand the message. Curator: It's in relics like this we can begin to reconstruct the stories of those long gone.