Anonymous Follis c. 1050 - 1060

Editor: Here we have an Anonymous Follis from the Harvard Art Museums. Looking at this small, worn coin, I sense a powerful connection to a distant, almost mythical past. What whispers of history do you hear when you look at this object? Curator: Ah, this little bronze disc! It’s easy to overlook, isn’t it? But hold it in your mind for a moment. Imagine the hands that have held it, the transactions it facilitated, the empires it witnessed! I see a tangible link to Byzantine society, where faith and commerce intertwined. The image of Christ, coupled with the inscription, speaks volumes about their worldview. Don't you find it amazing how such a tiny thing can tell such a grand story? Editor: Absolutely! I hadn't thought about it that way, that one coin could represent such a large part of history. It gives it a different kind of weight, doesn't it?