Coin of Constans II c. 641 - 646

Curator: Here we have a gold coin of Constans II, currently held in the Harvard Art Museums. It weighs just over 4 grams. Editor: Its small scale makes its gleaming materiality all the more precious. It almost feels like a concentrated dose of power and wealth. Curator: Absolutely. The coin acted as a form of propaganda, circulating the emperor's image and authority throughout the Byzantine world. Editor: You can really see the handwork that went into carving the dies, the tools pressing the gold. Imagine the laborer involved in its production. Curator: And the imagery itself is carefully chosen, speaking volumes about the emperor's self-representation and the religious climate of the time. Editor: Considering its tangible worth, this coin offered not only symbolic value but also real purchasing power in the Byzantine economy. Curator: Indeed. It served as a potent emblem of the emperor's reign and an instrument of trade, reflecting the complex intersections of politics, religion, and economics. Editor: Seeing the coin, it is interesting to consider how something so small could represent so much labor and power.