Coin of Justin II c. 570 - 571

Curator: Here we have a "Coin of Justin II," held at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It looks ancient, doesn't it? Like something you'd find buried in the sand. Curator: Indeed. The coin, which weighs roughly 15.87 grams, presents a formal structure, a deliberate composition intended to convey authority and permanence. Editor: But it's broken, imperfect. Adds to the mystery, don't you think? It whispers stories of hands long gone. Curator: The damage certainly disrupts the intended reading, introducing an element of chance and entropy. Editor: I love how something so small can hold so much history, though. It’s kind of beautiful. Curator: Precisely, and through formal analysis, we glimpse echoes of a distant empire.