Coin of Constans II c. 666 - 668

Curator: This is a coin of Constans II, currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. What strikes you about this little piece of history? Editor: Well, first off, the geometry! It's nearly square, not round like I'd expect. It feels less like currency and more like a rough token. Curator: Indeed. Its crude manufacture points to a period of political turmoil and, let's say, cost-cutting measures in the Byzantine Empire. The copper alloy is debased. Editor: Exactly, it speaks of production lines, labor, and the social pressures shaping what materials they could get their hands on. Imagine the hands that touched this, each transaction a tiny power exchange! Curator: It's a tangible link to the anxieties and ambitions of a bygone era, a small artifact brimming with tales, don't you think? Editor: Absolutely. Holding it, I can almost feel the weight of empires rising and falling.