Dinar of Yazid II 722 - 723

Curator: At the Harvard Art Museums, we have a Dinar of Yazid II. Looking at its lustrous surface, I can't help but feel transported. What's your take? Editor: It feels potent, doesn’t it? So much power and legacy wrapped up in this tiny, glittering disc. It's heavy with history. Curator: Indeed. The inscriptions—a powerful form of visual communication—are filled with religious and political meaning. Notice the way the script circles the coin. Editor: Like a golden vortex of belief. What do you think it meant to the people who used it? Did it feel like holding a little piece of the divine? Curator: Perhaps. It certainly was meant to be a physical manifestation of the Caliph's authority and devotion. Editor: Well, I'm definitely feeling a strange connection to Yazid II right now. Not bad for a little gold coin!