Anonymous Follis c. 976 - 1035

Curator: The Harvard Art Museums hold this intriguing artifact: an Anonymous Follis. Editor: It looks quite weathered and worn, almost like something pulled from the earth. Curator: Indeed. One side depicts an image of Christ. The other side is inscribed with text, likely religious in nature. This follis provides insight into the intersection of faith and daily life, where religious identity would have been expressed through currency. Editor: Absolutely, currency in this context wasn't merely economic, but a powerful symbol of imperial and religious authority. The widespread use of the coin facilitated the dissemination of religious imagery and reinforced the Church’s influence on society. Curator: Precisely, the image is so faint now, but the coin as a vessel for religious and cultural memory persists. Editor: Yes, even its worn state speaks volumes about its circulation and the values it carried.