Trachy nomisma of Andronicos I, Constantinople c. 1183 - 1185

Curator: This is a "Trachy nomisma of Andronicos I," a coin minted in Constantinople by Andronicos I, weighing just over 5.5 grams. Editor: It has a solemn weight, doesn't it? The imagery feels compressed, almost pleading, like a story etched onto a worry stone. Curator: Indeed, the imagery speaks volumes. One side depicts Christ Pantocrator, a powerful symbol of divine authority and judgement. Editor: The other side has Andronikos being blessed by Saint George, reflecting the intersection of divine right and military power. It’s interesting to see how legitimacy was visually constructed during his turbulent reign. Curator: The coin is a potent artifact, blending spiritual and temporal authority in a single object. Editor: Absolutely, it’s a tangible link to Byzantine political dynamics and the strategic use of visual propaganda. Curator: A reminder that even something as small as a coin could be charged with immense symbolic weight. Editor: Right. And, as an object circulating in daily life, it makes me consider who saw it, how it was used, and what those interactions might have meant.