Follis of Herakleios, Constantinople 

Curator: Here we have a Follis of Herakleios, struck in Constantinople, but actually produced under Abd-al-Malik of the Umayyad Caliphate. Its weight is around 10.23 grams. Editor: It has a worn, almost ghostly feel, doesn't it? The patina suggests the weight of centuries. Curator: Indeed. Though struck by an Islamic caliph, the coin replicates Byzantine imagery. We see what appears to be Herakleios and his son, perhaps hinting at the continuity of power or a strategic visual assimilation. Editor: Fascinating how the coin embodies a complex negotiation between conquest and cultural legacy, reflecting shifts in power through appropriated symbols. Curator: It shows that even the smallest objects can carry incredibly dense layers of meaning. Editor: A silent witness to massive political and religious changes. It makes you wonder what hands this coin passed through.