Trachy Nomisma of Andronikos I c. 1183 - 1185

Curator: This is a Trachy Nomisma, a coin attributed to Andronikos I. It’s currently held in the collections of the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: Immediately, I'm struck by its crude, almost barbaric elegance. You can almost feel the weight of the gold. Curator: These coins were crucial in establishing Andronikos' legitimacy. Note the imagery—a figure of Christ on one side and Andronikos with a saint on the other. It's calculated propaganda. Editor: Absolutely. And the method of production would've been fascinating, too. Think of the labor involved in the striking of each individual coin. What can this materiality tell us about the economy? Curator: It speaks volumes about the Byzantine Empire's self-image and how rulers tried to project power—the coin’s circulation reinforced his authority, legitimizing it by association. Editor: Considering the crude nature of the manufacture, each coin’s worth comes not only from the material, but how it circulates as a material of power. Curator: Precisely. It’s a potent symbol, reflecting the social and political forces at play during Andronikos's reign. Editor: A small object, perhaps, but one loaded with the echoes of empire, labor, and the economics of a bygone era.