Coin of Constantine VII c. 931 - 944

Curator: Look at this "Coin of Constantine VII," currently held in the Harvard Art Museums, just 4.4 grams of what appears to be gold. What does it conjure for you? Editor: It’s radiant, almost otherworldly. I imagine its weight in my palm, a sun warmed stone whispering of ancient power. Curator: Its materiality is key here. Gold, of course, signifies wealth, but also imperial authority. Note the embossed images: on one side, the seated Christ, and on the other, Constantine with an attendant. Editor: The images feel like sacred symbols, but also like a tiny stage for power plays. I wonder how many hands this passed through, greasing the wheels of commerce and conquest. Curator: Precisely! Coins were not merely currency, but propaganda, disseminating the image and legitimacy of the Byzantine emperor. This challenges our modern separation of art, economy, and statecraft. Editor: I'll never look at pocket change the same way again. This little coin holds more stories than a library. Curator: Agreed. Considering the labor and context embedded in its creation, this coin asks us to reconsider value itself.