Coin of Justinian I c. 538 - 542

Editor: Here we have "Coin of Justinian I" from Harvard Art Museums. It’s small, worn, and has a muted, almost humble quality. What stories do you think this piece could tell us? Curator: Ah, yes, humble yet powerful. It's not just metal; it’s a whisper from Byzantium! Look closely—can you imagine the hand that held it, traded it, perhaps even prayed over it? It connects us to an emperor’s ambition, a merchant’s livelihood... Do you see the ghosts of their transactions? Editor: I do now. It makes me wonder about how something so small could represent so much. Curator: Exactly! Isn’t it amazing how a tiny object can become a portal to a forgotten world? I see the past in its wear. Editor: This really shifted my perspective. I’ll never look at a coin the same way again!